Second Chances
by SJParkin
Summary: After Mary died, John went to the arms of her sister, Ruth. Now he must face the conseqences. But can he put his daughter through it all again? I thought Dean would make a good older brother for a girl!
1. Chapter 1

"Mr. Winchester?" a cool voice came over the landline.

"Yes, who is this?" he asked gruffly.

"It's the community hospital in Lawrence. Your sister-in-law, Ruth Collins, is asking for you. She's gone into labor."

"Oh. Right, I'll be there as soon as possible." John slammed down the phone, jumped out of bed and got ready.

After that he ran into the bedroom in which his son's were sleeping.

"Dean." He shook his son. "Dean, come on man."

"Dad?" he rubbed his eyes.

"Come on son, get Sammy ready we have to go and see your Auntie Ruth." He told him.

"Sammy son." He whispered and Sam woke up without a second thought.

They all got into John's car and drove at a high speed, to get through the state and back to Lawrence.

"Oh my God!" Ruth screamed through the hospital room. The baby inside her pushing its way into the world. "How much longer have I got?"

"About, a half hour Ms. Collins. Your baby is well on its way." The nurse checked off her clipboard.

John opened the door and came into the hospital room. "How is she?"

"Fine. You are?" The Doctor asked.

"Mr. Winchester. I'm her brother in law, she asked the hospital to call me."

"John!" Ruth screamed at him. "I'm going to fucking kill you! You did this to me! I felt sorry for you and this is what you do to me! I hate you!"

John looked taking aback. "Do you want me to leave? Because I can!" he gestured to the door.

"No!" She cried "I need you here!" she held out her hand to him "I want you here!"

John went to her side and held her hand and kissed her sweaty head.

"Ms. Collins, your baby is well on the way. The babies head is crowning now." The doctor smiled at her.

"Why are you smiling?" she growled at him. "It fucking hurts."

"I know. You refused the medicine and drugs, it's almost over." He nodded at her.

"Are you sure?" she asked him.

"I am. One more big push and your done." He smiled.

Ruth took a deep breath. John clenched her hand and she buried her head in his leather jacket, soothing herself on its smell.

"Arghh!" Ruth's scream cut through him as the baby met the air around it.

She heard the baby cry and let out a cry herself. The nurse wrapped it in a towel loosely and handed it to her. The babies pitch-black hair was sticky and thick with claret, its head covered in blood. But its hands and legs squirmed, as did its legs. Its lungs working as it screamed. Ruth surveyed her baby and looked at with tear filled eyes.

"What is it?" she asked the nurse.

"It's a little girl Ruth. A beautiful little girl." John answered.

"Mary. Mary Ellen." She whispered and beamed as John took the babies hand in his.

When Ruth was sleeping, John brought his sons into the room. He smiled as Dean immediately showed an interest in the new baby. John picked up Sam and showed him his cousin.

"What's her name?" Sam asked him.

"Mary." He smiled "Mary Ellen."

"After mom?" Dean asked and his dad nodded.

"We are going to look after her and Auntie Ruth." He kissed Sam's head.

"Can I hold her dad?" Dean asked.

John nodded and put Sam on the floor. "Sit on the chair son."

Dean did as he was told and John handed him the newborn little girl, cradling her softly in his worn hands. Dean smiled at her as she wriggled in her blankets and kissed her head.

After a while, the baby became bored of Dean and began to cry. John immediately held her in his arms, soothing her cries with his hushing.

Sam and Dean soon fell asleep in the chair and when Mary was asleep in his arms, John put her back in her hospital crib, making sure she was warm and protected from the elements around her.

John slept only a little that night, the baby in her crib, for all she was unplanned she was perfect.

6 Months Later. 

John held his little girl in his arms that night, reluctant to let her go, her small hand wrapped around his thumb as he sat her on his knee. She kicked in glee as Dean smiled up at her, mimicking his facial gestures, sticking his tongue out at her.

Mary wasn't talking yet, but everyone was sure she was trying to mutter 'Dean' as she went along.

Ruth came into the room and smiled at the site in front of her.

"Sam, Dean, come on its way past your bedtime." She smiled at them. Sam immediately went and took her hand, letting her take him to bed. "Come on Dean." She urged.

Dean looked at his father who nodded and Dean followed his Aunt up the stairs to the room he shared with Sam.

John smiled as Mary's eyes followed Dean, not wanting him to leave the room.

"Come on miss." He smiled and turned her around so she way lying back in his arms and staring at his face.

She squirmed away in glee, kicking her legs at John. He involuntarily grinned at her. She looked like her aunt and Dean, but she was dark like he and Sammy were.

"How did I get so lucky?" he let a tear go but laughed as she yawned. "Come on, bedtime I think."

He held her close against him as he took her up to her nursery, her head buried in his t-shirt, falling into an easy sleep.

Ruth woke up to hear her daughter crying in her crib in the next room. John had crept into her bed in the middle of the night again, so his boys didn't have to hear him or see him. She knew John only came to her because she reminded him so much of her older sister.

She rubbed her forehead and moaned before stepping onto the floor, placing her feet in bed-socks before making her way across her carpeted landing to her daughter's nursery.

She rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things, she was sure she had let the bedroom door open when she left. She shrugged it off and pushed at it, it seemed locked, but there had never been a lock on the door at all.

She pushed a little harder and it gave way without another thought. She yawned and made her way to her daughter's side. Mary lay cooing in her white blankets, perfect and unblemished as always.

"Hello Mary." She smiled and stroked her cheek. "Are you hungry?" She asked and Mary, as if she understood her mother kicked in glee. "I'll take that as a yes then!" she laughed at her eager daughter.

As Ruth ran her finger over her daughter's mouth, she felt a sticky substance there. Something alien to her perfect child.

She brought her fingers to her nose and sniffed it. "How the hell?"

"Hell is the right word." A voice muttered in the corner of the room. Ruth jumped back in shock, how the hell had he got into the house.

"Don't come any closer, I swear to God I'll scream!" she warned him, her eyes wide in horror. Her hands gripped onto the side of the crib, unwilling to let go. Was this how Mary had spent her last few moments, petrified for her child?

"Scream all you want Ruth, the damage is done. She's my child now!"

"No!" Ruth screamed. "John! John!" she shouted at the door.

Something pulled her back, her body rising from the floor, up the wall. It was as if someone had put hooks in her body and was tearing at her to get her on the ceiling. "John!" She continued to scream. "Oh My God! Mary, please, don't!" she begged the Demon as her daughter lay crying in her crib, desperate for her mother to comfort her or her father to protect her.

Ruth heard the door go, John was trying to get in to his screaming daughter. She heard a trigger of a gun and then the door blew open, shattering across the room.

"Dean, get Mary and go!" he told his eldest son, who scooped his screaming sister up into his arms, took Sam by the hand and ran out of the house.

John shot at the demon, it didn't seem to flinch at all, but eventually it disappeared out of the room. Ruth felt her body drop to the floor her mind fell into unconsciousness.

"Shit no!" John muttered as he checked her throat for a pulse, there was one, but a weak one. He picked her up in his arms and jumped back as the crib in which Mary had slept broke out into flame. If he had been any later to react, his little girl would have gone up in flame, as would have Sammy six years ago had he been to late then.

John took Ruth outside to the opposite side of the street where Dean was waiting with his younger siblings, his face wide eyed with horror. John ran to his car and opened the door. He lay Ruth on the front seat and ushered his children to the back of the car.

John drove to the only place he could think of going right now, Missouri.

He stopped outside the small building that she called both home and work. He got out of the car and knocked profusely on the door.

She appeared two minutes later. "John! Come on in, bring Ruth!" She ordered him and he did as he was told.

Dean held onto Mary, who still cried out for her mother. Missouri helped John put Ruth on the sofa, leaving her to rest. John then took hold of his little girl, soothing her cries with his hushing.

"Dean, Sammy, come on, lets get you to bed. You need your rest." She ushered the two boys to the spare room, where there was a bed waiting for them.

She came back and rubbed her head "He was after Mary this time then." She stated. "That thing John, it won't stop, it targeted Sam and Mary for a reason! You'll have to be careful from now on!"

John nodded and held his daughter closer, her tears stopped a little and she fell asleep in his arms. She was his second chance in life, and he wasn't going to let her go without a fight.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N- Hey everyone! Thanks for all the adds and reviews! I hope you'll like Mary as much as I do! I don't really have a backstory as such for her, things get revealed a lot later on for her. I've written alot for seasons 1 and 2, she's a bit more forceful in those. Hope you enjoy, and please please please give me some feedback, or if you want anything in the stories, just let me know! Ps- if you like twilight, i've nearly finished my new moon fanfic, finished the twilight one! I'm toying with a batman idea at the moment (fans may kill me, but its fanfic and i don't care!) and in the beginings of a Harry Potter fanfic. Enjoy and please REVIEW! **

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Ruth sat silently in the front seat of the Impala a few days after the fire, as John drove the family to their new home. Mary was firmly strapped in her car seat, happily sleeping, as were Sam and Dean.

"You're quiet Ruth." John muttered.

She smirked "Can you blame me? The thing that killed my sister is now after my little girl!" she hissed. "I'm a bit preoccupied at the moment. I didn't mean to shout at you." She played with her jumper's sleeve.

John sighed, "I know, and one day, I'll kill that bastard thing for what it's done to us." He growled. "Least she's asleep." He smiled gently at his daughter in the rear view mirror. "Try to sleep Ruth, please." He urged her and she nodded, snuggling into her coat before nodding off.

Only then did John Winchester allow himself to silently cry, about everything that had happened to him and seemed to be happening to him again. He couldn't help but smile, as Mary seemed to wake up, as if she was able to sense his tears.

That night, John laid Mary down in her crib, watching her sleep effortlessly, as if nothing was wrong with her. He sat in the rocking chair, a rifle loaded across his knees, he'd brought the coffee machine into her room as well, just incase he felt the need to fall asleep.

Ruth sighed as she came into the room, upset that John was so tense. "Did the demon ever come for Sammy again?" she muttered.

John shrugged "No. But I won't risk losing her." He pondered on in his mind. "I can't drag her into the life that the boys have had Ruth. I just can't, so don't ask me to do it."

"So you don't want to be her father?" Ruth sounded hurt as she stroked her little girl's cheek. "You're going to disown her?" she could feel the hot tears flowing down her cheek.  
"Not disown her at all Ruth! I'll be Uncle John. I can't and won't put her in any danger." He got up and put his arms around her. "I'll always be there for her, I just…"

"It's okay." Ruth took in a deep breath. "She's registered as Campbell anyway. I don't want her in any danger either, I don't want the boys in any danger."

"What do you mean?" John looked at her as she smiled through tear stained eyes.

"When you go, leave them here. I'll look after them, keep an eye on them. Just for a little while, I'm not asking for custody of the boys." She kissed his cheek.

"I can't leave them Ruth, not at all." He pulled away.

She scowled menacingly at him "But you'd leave them unprotected in some crummy motel for days on end?"

"That's different, when I have a job to work…"

"Leave them here!" she commanded him. "It's least you can do to give them a normal childhood!"  
He took in a breath. "I'll leave them here then."

The Winchesters settled into their new home with their Aunt very quickly. Dean was happy to have his own bedroom away from Sam. Mary was just happy to get all the extra attention from her mother and father. She was happy being fussed over 24/7 and being in someone's arms all of the time.

John was the first one she walked toward, her little tongue sticking out earnestly as she did so, uncertain on her feet before running toward his open arms. She'd sit at his feet playing as he tried to get a lead on the demon, scouring through newspapers or watching the news. When he'd decide that he'd had enough of that, he'd pick up his daughter and talk to her.

"What do you think Mary, hmm? Where do you think it is?" he'd sit with her in front of the map and laugh, as it seemed she would point at certain places. "I wish it were that easy darling." He'd kiss her cheek and she'd giggle away, hitting him on the head.

When Mary was older, every knew that the influence of the Winchester children, especially Dean, was there in her physce. Her facial gestures were the same as there's were. But She never knew who her father was, she only ever knew he was Uncle John, she was known as Mary Ellen Campbell, not Winchester.

6 years later.

Mary woke up in a happy mood that morning, it was her birthday and she knew it. Her mom and Uncle John had been fussing over getting things ready for the past few weeks now. She was excited on the top end of the scale as she ran down the stairs to see her mom.

"Mommy!" she squealed in delight as her mom picked her up in her arms.

"Happy birthday sweetheart!" she exclaimed as she grasped her, brushing her hair back from her head. "Are you excited?"

Mary nodded enthusiastically "I am!" she smiled. "Is Uncle John here?"

"I am." A gruff voice stated from around the corner. He took her from her mother, his hands had a firm grasp on her. "Happy birthday Mary." He smiled at her. "You don't look any different at all!"

"Are you disappointed?" she asked him, her face confused.

"No, not at all!" he laughed "I'm happy! You're too pretty to change!" he hugged her tightly.

"Where's Dean?" she asked him.

"He'll be back soon, don't worry darling!" he kissed her cheek and placed her on the kitchen bench. "Breakfast time." He enthused and poured out her cereal and milk.

The party started around midday, John was safe guarding the BBQ from the bunch of elementary school kids. All of whom were hyper on some sort of sugar.

All of Mary's friends seemed to circle themselves around the sixteen-year-old cousin, Dean. Who, even though he wouldn't admit it, loved the attention he was getting.

Sam was nowhere to be seen, he'd hidden himself in his room, reading a book for a paper he had due in two weeks time. That had caused Mary to dub him affectionately as the geek. He didn't mind, Mary was only a six-year-old kid; she didn't know what it meant.

He would have minded, however, if he knew Dean was the one to tell her to call him that, and that he had fully explained the meaning of the word to her.

That night, Ruth tucked Mary up safely in her bed, leaving her night light on for her.

"Goodnight sweetie!" she smiled and kissed her head. "Sleep tight now!" she got up and left the room, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

John stood outside the doorway "How is she?"

"Tired out to say the least." Ruth ran her hands through her hair and John pulled her closer to him.

"She ought to be! The amount of running about she's done today!"

Ruth pulled away "She asked me something today. Why wasn't her dad at her party?"

"What did you say?" John folded his arms across his chest.

"I didn't tell her don't worry about it!" she moaned and went to the linen closet. She handed John an extra blanket "You should be the one to tell her. Someday anyway." She smiled.

John chuckled "What? That I'm really her father? I think I'll pass Ruth. She doesn't need it."

Neither of them had noticed Dean on the stairs at that point in time.

"I can't believe you Dad!" he stated angrily "You slept with _her_…"  
"Watch your tongue boy!" John growled, as Ruth stood silent.

"Why? It's the truth! You've lied to us all for years! Mary included!" he stormed down the stairs.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" John followed him down the stairs.

"Out!" he bolted and made his way to the Impala on the driveway.

"Dean!" he shouted "Get your ass back in this house now!"

"John, leave him! He's going to be pissed for a long time yet!" she placed a hand on his shoulder as he ran his hands over his head.

"Shit, shit, shit!" John cursed over and over before he stormed up the stairs and locked himself in the bathroom.

Mary woke up later that night, the nightlight beside her flickering on and off. She buried her head in her pillow and blinked up at it. The CD player in the corner of her room began to make funny noises. She sighed and turned on her back, looking at the ceiling.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed someone standing looking out of the window. She sat up in her bed and looked at him.

"Uncle John?" she whispered, "What is it? Are you leaving me again?"

The figure chuckled, it wasn't Uncle John. It was a different man all together.

"No, sweetheart, I'm definitely not leaving you again." He sat on the end of her bed and she shifted nervously backwards, bringing her knees up to her chest.

"Now, what's this Mary? It's no way to treat your father." He smiled.

She looked at him in shock, her brown eyes widened. "You're my father?"

"Yes, I am dear one! Now, you're my special little girl. I have a very big job for you…" he stopped and looked at the door, his yellow eyes flashed back and he made his way to the side of the bed.

Ruth burst through the door, a rifle in her hands. "Not again you son of a bitch!" she shouted and aimed for him. He moved to quickly for her and she hit Mary's lamp, the space around her bed catching alight quickly. The little girl immediately covered her head as the glass showered her head. Mary let out a scream and the demon disappeared from her site, her mother unconscious on the floor against the wall. Dean and John both came into the room. John stamping out the fire, with a blanket, that had yet had the chance to spread and cause any real damage. Dean immediately picked her up in his arms and looked at her hands. They were badly cut as she cried on. He took her out of the room, down to the bathroom.

"I know it hurts Mary!" he soothed her. He at her on the closed toilet seat and gently washed her hands for her. Checking for any glass that may have got in to the wound, prizing it out with tweezers.

He put a gauze and bandage on her hands. He smiled at her when it was over.

"See, it wasn't that bad." He grinned before picking her up and sitting her on his knees, he held her against him. "You're okay now, I've got you now!"


	3. Bugs

**A/N-I don't have much of a BS for Mary, so i started off her story properly in the Bugs episode of Supernatural. I'll keep them all on here. **

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Mom and I landed in Oklahoma on a humid and wet day, the clothes sticking to our backs as the plane touched the runway. I didn't mind flying; mom on the other hand, hated it. She preferred to have her feet on the ground, or be sitting behind a steering wheel. But the car managed to magically break down last week and Uncle John was away out of town, on a new and top-secret hunt, which I, yet again, wasn't allowed to be a part of.

My mom, Ruth Campbell, was never married; my dad apparently left her before I was born. She wasn't dependent on him though; she had her own business, which she ran from home. She was a successful realtor who had broken away from the firm she worked. She now ran her own estate agents from her laptop on the kitchen workbench. I would always find her there, sipping her coffee and peering over her square framed glasses, her chestnut hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. I had been sent to private school from the age of twelve, catholic private school at that. Only the best education would suffice for her baby girl, I was only allowed the best in everything, or everything she could afford to give me. So, to get me out of there, my mom had to pull some serious strings.

I never thought I looked like my mom, I was always told I looked like Aunt Mary and Dean. I had the same face and the same deep blue eyes. I was dark however, my chocolate, almost black wavy hair like Sam. Aunt Mary was another unanswered question she had died six years before I was born, in a house-fire. Uncle John, however, had been a permanent fixture in my life. He always visited if his work passed through Chicago, usually bringing Dean with him. Sam, I hadn't seen for four years now. He had gone to school in Stanford, my mom had loaned him some money to pay a little. He used it to get a new laptop I didn't really mind not seeing Sam. Dean on the other hand, I missed like hell. He had been like a big brother to me growing up. He was ten when I was born, the third person to hold me after my Mom and Uncle John. He was my protector, more so than anybody else in my life.

After collecting our luggage we made our way out of the airport and to the car hire place. Mom took on a respectable Mercedes for the week, its black paint new and shiny.

When we were settled in the car I put on the stereo, ramming a c.d. Dean had made for me into the player. I hummed along to the familiar sounds of ACDC and Kansas, playing with my hair, curling this way and that in my fingers.

"How long until we hit Oasis Valley?" I asked my mom.

"Hmm. It'll be about another couple of hours. We'll drive through and get something to eat. Then you should get some sleep sweetie."

"I could drive for a while if you want. I'll take over after eating if I sleep now. I don't want you to tire yourself out mom." I smiled at her.

"Its okay Mary. I'm high on coffee as it is." She whistled along to the music. "You were born in the wrong decade darling, you would have loved the 70's." she laughed as I scowled and lay back into the chair. My feet on the dashboard before I fell asleep wrapped up in my parka jacket.

The dream came again. I was alone in my room, the room I had in Kansas when I was six. There was a strange man at the bottom of my bed, his yellow eyes glowing madly. Somehow, I was never scared of him though. It was like I knew him I had met him before. He smiled at me wildly and waved, before putting a finger to his mouth and telling me to be quiet. I nodded and lay back into my bed. Then my mom came in the room, holding a rifle, but it flew out of her hands, blowing out my nightlight. I could feel the glass still on me. Then she flies against the wall and hits her head, landing with a soft thumping sound, a black cloud surrounding her head. . That's before the fire begins, right the way around my bed. That's when, like clock work I wake up, and the yellow-eyed man disappears.

I jumped up and my mom shot me a worried glance.

"Honey, are you okay?" she felt my forehead "Gosh, you've got a soaring temperature!"

"Mom, I'm fine. I think it's just the effects of the nightmare." I assured her with a sigh as I rubbed my head.

"We should ring John. I hate seeing you like this." She bit her lip

"You know you'll just get the answer machine."

"Then we'll ring Caleb, Bobby or Ash and Ellen." She ran through the names. "Someone has to know how to stop them darling."

"They might, but lets just forget about it for now mom. Lynda needs all the help she can get with this sales job."

"Hmmm." She pursed her lips, she was obviously still worrying about me, but I let it go. Nothing remotely demonic or supernatural was going to spoil the precious little time I was going to spend with her this weekend.

We drove through Oasis Springs, past the ambulance and cop cars. Mom, being Mom stopped the car and we went to investigate what was going on.

Larry Pike stood there, looking worse for wear, tired and petrified at the same time. He saw my Mom instantly and his face lit up. She had been his head realtor for years; I had gone to the same Pre-School and Elementary as his son, Matthew. We were the same age as each other; we had been best friends for years.

"Larry, what's going on?" she soothed him, whilst looking at the yellow tape.

"One of the men, Dustin, went down the hole there. By the time someone got him out, he was dead."

"Do they know what it is yet?" I asked him, huddled into my Parka.

"Looks like he had Mad Cow disease." He added, "least, that's what the paramedics are saying."

"Mad Cow? Are you sure? I mean he must have had dementure before hand." I quoted out loud, my Mom scowled at me. She knew I was thinking up some plan to have my own case to follow up, be a regular member of the Scooby Gang.

"Normal guy. It must have come on pretty fast. He was bleeding from his mouth, nose, eyes and ears." He gestured with his hands.

"Gross" I whispered as I looked over the tape, "there are like dead beetles in there as well. Imagine dying surrounded by bugs. Eurgh." I shivered at the thought of it.

I could deal with a malevolent spirit or two, but put bugs and creepy crawlies before me and I just melt.

"That's enough Mary." My Mom warned me and I didn't continue the comments. "So, when do I start Larry?" she asked him, changing the subject.

"Oh, erm, next Tuesday, were having a BBQ. Hopefully the weather will clear up by then. Lynda's putting you up, unless you want to buy your own place out here?" he teased.

"I think we're pretty settled in Chicago Larry, but thanks for the offer." She laughed at him. "We'll see you then with Lynda."

"Listen, come around for dinner on Sunday, Matt would love to see Mary again." He urged.

"I bet he would." I muttered looking away from Larry.

"Yeah, okay. I'll bring desert around." She smiled before ushering me to the car.

She put the music back on before she started her lecture "You can tell your John Winchester's niece!" she shook her head "You were itching to find something supernatural there. The guy just lost a work colleague and your looking for your next mission."

"Sorry Mom." I rolled my eyes and looked at the rain. "Don't you think it's a bit odd though?"

"What's odd?"

"The whole Mad Cow explanation, I mean. Lets just say he did have it, he'd have been acting weird for a least a few months, before construction started."

"Mary, just leave it honey. We have enough to deal with before you decide to pull a Winchester on me!"


	4. Chapter 4

Sunday came around, slowly for me. I had a pile of homework to get through and a good few books with me to keep my mind occupied. Not one of my so-called friends had called me on my cell. Not even Uncle John had left a message for me, which for him, was very out of the ordinary. Mom baked her apple pie and I picked up the ice cream.

Joanie greeted us at the front door, happy to see my Mom and I more than Larry had been. She took the ice cream from my hands and disappeared into the kitchen with my mom. I smiled at Matt who looked at me like I was an alien from another planet.

"Hey Matt." I smiled at him as I took off my coat and hung it on the coat stand. I shivered as I saw the box on the sideboard.

"Hey Mary." He stated back.

"Still into bugs." I gestured toward the table.

He chuckled a little "Yeah. You still into ghosts?"

I chortled, "Some things never change." I ran my fingers through my damp hair before pulling it back into a ponytail. The white v-neck jumper I wore fitted in all the right places, I had teamed it with a pair of jeans and beige Uggs.

"So, how do you like Oklahoma?" I urged him "Are they all singing all dancing bugs out here?"

"No, could say the same for Chicago. Has Catherine Zeta-Jones turned up yet?"

"No, but you'll be the first one I call if she does." I beamed at him as we walked through to the kitchen. "So how's normal high school?" I asked as I sat on a kitchen stool.

"Good, normal in a nice sort of way." He shrugged.

"Like everything out here." I shivered at the thought. "How do you do it?" I asked him.

"Do what?" he got me a soda out of the fridge.

I opened it and emptied it into the glass "Live in such a manicured place. I mean every single house looks the same to me. Their all perfect, all well kept. It's going to be just too…"

"Stepford? I know right." He smirked. "The way dad wishes this family was. Would be if I weren't here."

"Matt, is it really that bad?" I asked him, concern showing in my voice. Scaring me silly when I realized how much I sounded like my Mom.

"Not really. I just learn to let him hear what he wants." He shrugged. "So…do you have a boyfriend yet?"

"No." I added quickly and defensively, to spare him the hurt. "I'm not your typical girlfriend material. I'm too unique and different. The freak with the book and knife collection." I smirked. "It would be nice to viewed as sane enough to be girlfriend material."

"Same here."

"No M-J turned up then yet spidy?" I asked him with a mischievous grin.

"No, not yet." He grinned "Come on, they'll kill us if we let our dinner get cold."

Dinner was pleasant enough; I concentrated on speaking with Matt for most of it. My Mom's conversation boring me to tears as she droned on with Larry and Joanie.

"So, Mary…" Larry began "how do you like it out here?"  
"Oh," I swallowed my orange juice hard and put it back on the table, "It's perfect." I smiled.

Matt laughed a little and my Mom scowled at me, catching the joke.

"Thank you." Larry smiled. "How's school?"

"It's good." I lied through gritted teeth.

"She gets A's in almost everything." My mom announced proudly over the table.

"Doesn't it take a toll on your social life?" Joanie asked me concerned as I blushed a deep red.

"Yeah, I suppose. But I'd rather get what I need now. I've got all the time in the world to have a social life when I hit college. Least, that's how I planned it."

"Good girl." Larry smiled. "So, still interested in ghost's?"

"Not as much as I used to be." I suppressed my laughter.

"Whose for desert?" Joanie asked before my mom helped her clear the table.


	5. Chapter 5

At the BBQ. 

"God, could this thing get any worse?" I asked Matt I was concentrating on keeping myself dry.

"I know." He sighed "Hang on, I've got an idea." He disappeared.

"Matt!" I shouted after him and followed him into the house, putting my umbrella in the kitchen. By the time I had got there, Matt was gone.

I sighed and decided to escape to the upstairs bathroom for a while. I could get peace in there; find something for my growing head pains.

Larry's voice came down the stairs. "You've got three choices: Carpet, hardwood and tile." He explained.

"Wow. Someone likes bugs." A familiar voice cut through me. I couldn't place it however. The pain in my head was growing; I was concentrating on making it to the bathroom in one piece.

"My son. He's into insects. He's very inquisitive." Larry tried to make Matt's bug fetish sound as normal as possible. I rolled my eyes and bumped into someone, spilling a little bit of my coke on him.

"Oh my God! I'm so…" I looked up to a familiar face. One I had wanted to see in years. "Dean? Dean Winchester?" I asked assuring my mind I wasn't going mental.

"You two know each other?" Larry asked in shock.

"Well…" Dean muttered.

"Oh Larry, this is my cousin Dean." I beamed. "You don't remember me, do you?" I asked, annoyed a little with him.

"Nope, sorry." He averted my gaze a little.

"Its Mary Ellen, Campbell. Last time I saw you, I was fourteen and it was the Christmas concert at school in Chicago. You were with Uncle John." I attempted to jog his memory and it worked.

He immediately put his arms around me "God, I didn't recognize you!" What the hell are you doing out here?"

"Well if you let me breathe dude, I'll tell you!" he let me go, an apologetic look on his face.

"Mom dragged me. Her friend Lynda needed help setting up house. So here I am. I went to school with Larry's son, Matt."

"Yeah, but instead of bugs, your mother got the ghost's." he laughed a little. "I should get back to the BBQ." With that he left us.

Dean snorted and I hit him on the shoulder. "Thanks Dean."

"Your welcome Mary." He smiled at me. "God you've grown up. You look like my mom."

"Aunt Mary, I know. Mom tells me that every day almost."

"How is Aunt Ruth?" he asked me as we walked back into the garden.

"She's good. Same old overprotective Mom. Determined to make me as non-Winchester as possible."

"Maybe that's a good thing." Dean muttered.

"Why? Because I'm a girl?" I spat back.

"No." Dean laughed, "Because you were never meant for this life. Dad knew it, and I knew it." He opened the door for me and I scowled at him as I made my way into the garden.

"So you're working a job then?" I asked him off handed.

"No." he stated all to quickly.

"Ah-ha. So why is Sam here?" I nodded in his direction. "He was supposed to be in Stanford right now."

"Yeah, well, things happened." He smiled at me before he hugged me again. "You need to take care of yourself and your mom."

"I will, I always do." I assured him before I made my way down the stairs toward Lynda.

"What's the matter Lynda?" I asked her because she looked highly pissed off.

"Nothing." She picked at the sleeve of her blazer. "That guy over there." She nodded at Sam. "No way is he after a house. I think he might be from another Estate Agents."

"I'll go check it out." I smiled and made my way through the garden toward Sam and Dean.

"Larry's surveyors dropped dead on the job. Get this: a severe allergic reaction to bee stings."

"More bugs." Sam stated.

"More bugs." Dean repeated to him.

I laughed a little. "So that's why you two are really here." I smiled and Dean rolled his eyes at me.

"Excuse me." Sam asked he clearly had no idea who I was.

"You found out about Larry Burwash's strange mad cow disease symptoms, without the two years of previous hallucinations and strange behaviour to back it up and decided to investigate. Then when you crossed that yellow tape you found the beetles, which, if I'm right, crawled through his ears and mouth to his brain, causing the major haemorrhage and killing him very slowly and very painfully, before scuttling off. I'm guessing the ones left dead in the hole, were the ones Larry managed to kill before their friends chewed up his brain." I smiled sweetly at him.

"How…" he began.

"Sam." Dean smirked, highly amused "You remember moms niece, Mary Ellen."

"Little Sammy's all grown up. See the braces worked." I gestured at my own teeth.

"So have you by the look of things." He chuckled back at me. "Why are you here?"

"Mom." I gestured in her direction. "She came to help a friend. Reckoned I could use a break from school."

"Why would you need a break from school?" Sam asked.

"Did you read in the paper about the killings in Chicago?" I asked him and he nodded.

"Yeah, we nearly came up, but Bobby said he'd have it covered." Dean stated sourly.

"I was the cover. It was a rather pissed off spirit. Killing catholic school girls, because she used to be one, before the school bullies hung her from the rafters of the chapel." I shook the memory from my head. "It was like a Bloody Mary thing, but without the mirror. Girls found out about her and started up a legend, it grew. So they'd call her in the chapel, and once she had a hold on you, you were a goner. She followed you everywhere. Anyway, all I had to do was find her grave and salt it. But…"

"But…" Dean began, pissed off with me.

"It's never that simple. She got highly pissed with me, latched on even though I hadn't called her. So I had to call in the big guns. Uncle John dealt with it, coarse that meant burning down the chapel."

"So, they thought you got caught in a fire and Dad got you out?"

"That's the one." I smiled at Dean.

"So, is your mom here?" Sam asked me.

"Sure she is. Mom." I called her and she came over to us. She beamed when she recognized Sam first and then Dean.

"Oh my gosh. I can't believe its you two! What the hell are you doing out here?"

"Just passing through." Sam lied through his teeth.

"Ah-ha. You look so much like you dad Sam." She hugged him before turning to Dean. "You on the other hand, are the double of your mother! How are you two boys?"

"Fine Aunt Ruth. You?" Sam asked her in return.

"I'm good. Selling as many houses as possible. So I'll have to go. Look after Mary for me; make sure she does nothing reckless. Be good Mary." She kissed me on the head and went to find another client. I scowled at her as she left.

"I'm sure she thinks I'm a psychopath or something."


	6. Chapter 6

Mom left the BBQ early, saying she had a crisis to deal with back home in Chicago. One of the major deals she had got hold of was about to fall through and she had to call the other dealer right away.

"Great." I muttered "I'm stuck with Larry and Joanie for now."

"It can't be that bad." Sam smiled sweetly at me.

"Yeah. I suppose." I smiled back at him as he walked me the few blocks to Lynda's home. "So, Stanford. It's a pretty big deal Sam. Why give it up?" I asked him.

He blew out a sigh "My girlfriend, Jessica."

"What happened to her?" I continued.

"She was murdered, the same way mom was, the same way Aunt Ruth was almost."

"God." I shook my head. "As if having your mom wasn't enough. I'm sorry Sam, if I seem a bit of a bitch some times, to you especially."

"It's okay." He smiled "Sorry if I come across a bit of a jerk."

I stopped in front of the house. "Looks like I'm home, for now anyway." I smiled and let him hug me. "Thanks Sam. I'll see you around no doubt. If you need any help at all. Just call my cell." I handed him my number. "I may seem like the weak link in the Winchester chain, but Velma had her uses too."

He laughed at me "Okay, I'll see you later." I watched him walk away from the front porch before letting myself into Lynda's home.

I noticed the letter on the mantle as soon as I had showered and got my p-j's on. I took it off the mantle and settled down to read it.

"Thanks Mom." I moaned. She'd gone back to Chicago but would be back in a couple of day's time. The dealer wanted to speak to her face to face.

I sighed and turned on the T.V. After flicking through the channels, I realized there was nothing on at all. So, as I sat in the dark room I decided an early night was in order to sort out my head. I hauled myself to my bedroom and slept most of the night without a worry. Only when the same nightmare came again, did I wake up. My head pounding with the heat as I looked at my alarm clock. It was five thirty in the morning.

"Stupid dreams." I muttered and crawled out of bed and pulled on my jeans and black v-neck t-shirt with long elbow length sleeves.

After having my breakfast, I realized that Lynda should have been awake before now. She had work in an hour. I poured her a cup of coffee and made my way up the stairs.

"Lynda." I knocked on her bedroom door. "It's seven nearly."

I shrugged when no answer came and opened the door a fraction. I dropped the cup of coffee. Lynda was lying on the bedroom floor, covered in blood, still wet from the shower.

"Shit shit shit!" I muttered as I knelt beside her checking her pulse and breathing. "Nothing. Oh God!" I got up and found the phone and dialled 911.

Larry sat with me as the police questioned me. Satisfied I had nothing to do with it they left us in the rain outside the house. The phone in Larry's pocket buzzed and he picked it up, I blocked out most of the conversation, concentrating on breathing. I had never had anyone die on my watch, or in the same house as me.

"Hey look, I don't know anything more right now. I'll have to call you back. All right." He threw me a worried glance before wrapping an arm around my shoulders and squeezing me gently. I heard the Impala and smiled as Sam and Dean made their way toward me.

"Hello, you're err back early." He stammered as he let go of me, the tears running down my face.

"We just drove in to take another look at the neighbourhood." He opened his free arm and I fell against his chest. "Are you okay?" he rubbed my arm and kissed my head before I eventually nodded.

"What's going on?" Sam asked Larry.

"You guys met Lynda Bloome at the barbecue?" he asked.

"The realtor." Sam remembered her face in his mind and confirmed it

"Well, she err passed away last night." Larry mumbled, upset still, but more in shock.

"What happened?" Dean soothed me and I pulled away from him, meeting his gaze with mine. I shook my head, pretending I was still hysterical with grief and widened my eyes so he got the gist.

"I'm still trying to find out. I identified the body for the police. Look, I'm sorry. This isn't a good time." The cop gestured for Larry to go into the house.

"It's okay." Sam assured him, Dean still firmly holding me to him, like Uncle John had done.

"Excuse me." Larry went away to the cop that stood in the house's doorway.

"You know what we have to do, right?" Dean told Sam, trying to keep me out of it as much as possible.

"Yeah. We got to get in that house.

"See if we got a bug problem." He mulled it over in his head.

I pulled away from Dean and felt in my pocket, finding what I wanted I pulled it out and dangled it in front of him. "Good job I've got the keys."

We waited in the Impala, drying off, waiting for the cops to leave the premises. I pulled the cell out of my pocket and dialled my mom's number. I left it to ring for a while and sighed when the answer machine kicked in.

"Hi, Mom. Sorry you're not at our phone right now. Anyway…" I swallowed hard "it's Lynda. She died last night. She slipped and fell through the glass of the shower. She died from loss of blood more than anything else I guess. Don't worry about me though; Sam and Dean are here, so I'm pretty well looked after at the moment. Call me if you get this Mom. I love you." I put the phone down and took a sigh. "She's doing an Uncle John on me now." I chuckled.

"Come on." Dean muttered and we got out of the car, making our way around the back of the house, to the fence.

"Dean, that key works on the front door!" I moaned as Sam helped me up onto the fence and across the window. "I'm sure you think your James Bond or something."

Dean rolled his eyes at me and made his way to the bathroom, "This looks like the place," he stated before crouching down and picking up the towel, "spiders. From Spider-Boy?"

I felt my stomach lurch and do a summersault. "Eurgh, Please." I put a hand over my mouth.

Sam rolled his eyes at me. "Matt. Maybe." He shrugged his shoulders.

I shook my head "You think he's capable of murder?" I looked wide at the two of them " Sure he has his morbid obsession…"

Dean cut in from my pleading with him "Everyone's capable of murder Mary. You just have to be pushed the right way."


	7. Chapter 7

We made our way back out of the house, Dean helping me out of the window.

"I'm not Cat Woman you know!" I moaned as he lifted me down gently.

"I can tell." He laughed as we made our way back to the car.

I clambered into the back seat, warming up my arms by rubbing them with my hands, snuggling into my coat. "So. What's the next call?" I asked Dean as I held my cell in my hands tightly.

"Well, I say we make a visit to Spider boy." He nodded.

"Be nice to him Dean. He has a pretty hard time of it with his dad." I flicked it open as my mom phoned me.

"Mom." I sighed.

"Mary, thank goodness! Are you alright?" she asked me, worried.

"I'm fine Mom. I'm with Sam and Dean. Their looking after me, I promise."

"Mary, keep yourself safe sweetheart, please, no hunting!" she warned me.

"I promise Mom. I'll not do anything stupid!" I chuckled. "How's the contractor? Did you get it sorted out?"

"Yeah, all done. Just got some forms to sign tomorrow, then I'm coming back. The cars working, John got it sorted out."

"How is Uncle John?" I asked her. "Is he okay?"

"He's good. Looking older and getting a bit obsessive over something. He'll be fine."

"Thanks Mom." I smiled "I'll see you soon."

"I love you darling. Tell Dean, I'll kill him if anything happens to you!"

"I will." I smiled and put the phone down. "My Mom said…"

"I heard." He chuckled and stopped at the traffic lights so the school bus could go past. Matt got off the bus, but instead of going to the houses, he went into the wood, I leant forward so I was in between the two of them.

"Isn't his house that way?" he asked me and I nodded at him.

"Yep." Sam muttered in agreement.

"So where's he going?" Dean questioned in his mind.

"Lets find out." I smiled and got out of the car. Dean parked the car off the road and got out to follow me.

We walked out into the wood, Dean firmly by my side.

"So, you worked any other jobs?" he asked me.

"I might have." I smirked. "A few. With help though, Pastor Jim, Caleb. They all help me along the way, the job last year was the only one I've done on my own. If it hadn't been for your dad, I don't think I would be here." I shrugged.

"You've never met your dad then?" Sam asked me.

"No." I said defensively. "I don't think I need to. Uncle John is like a dad to me. When he turns up."

We saw Matt in the forest, holding a bug; I still felt my stomach lurch.

"Hey, Matt. Remember me?" Sam began the conversation. Having more tact than his older brother.

"What are you doing out here?" Matt asked him before looking at me, knowing how much I hated nature.

"Well, we wanna talk to you." Dean grinned at him.

"You're not here to buy a house, are you?" Dean shook his head at Matt. "Wait. You're not serial Killers?" he seemed genuinely scared by the three of us.

"No, no." Sam chuckled on. "No, I think you're safe."

"So, Matt… you sure know a lot about insects." Dean seemed to innocently comment.

I snorted at him "Understatement of the decade."

"So?" Matt asked him.

"Did you hear what happened to Lynda, the realtor?" he began to question.

"I hear she died this morning." Matt shrugged.

"That's right. Spider bites." Dean informed him.

"Matt, you tried to scare her with a spider." Sam put it clearly for him.

"Wait, You think I had something to do with that?" he asked in shock.

"You tell us." Dean smiled at him.

"Bring it on Parker." I grinned and Matt smirked a little before he continued to defend himself.

"That tarantula was a joke. Anyway, that wouldn't explain the bee attack or the gas-company guy."

"You know about those?" Sam asked him.

"There is something going on here, I don't know what, but something's happening with the insects. Let me show you something." He began to walk on into the forest, Sam closely following him.

I rolled my eyes "Dean." I grabbed his arm. "You can't seriously be going to follow him?"

"Why, have you got any other plans?" He asked me.

"Well, no, but…" I stuttered away as Dean began to walk "God, fine. Nothing like bug hunting to kill an afternoon." I moaned and caught up with him.

"So if you knew about all this bug stuff, why not tell your dad? Maybe he could clear everybody out." Sam asked Matthew and I laughed. The thought of Larry moving everyone out of here on Matt's word, there was more of a chance of me winning the lottery.

"Believe me, I've tried… but eh, Larry doesn't listen to me." Matt replied.

"Why not?"

"Mostly? He's too disappointed in his freak son."

"I hear ya."

"You do?" Dean instantly questioned, as did I.

"Matt, how old are you?" Sam continued, ignoring Dean's latest contribution.

"Sixteen."

"Well don't sweat it, because in two years something great's gonna happen."

"What?" Matthew looked confused.

"College. You'll be able to get out of that house and away from your dad." He assured him and I felt Deans face burn in anger.

"What kind of advice is that? Kid should stick with his family." He intervened.

Sam gave Dean the look of death before returning his attentions back to Matt. "How much further, Matt?"

"We're close." He assured Sam and I gave a sigh of relief.

He led us into a clearing in the wood, which, must to my disgust was filled with bugs. "I've been keeping track of insect populations. It's part of an AP science class,"

"God, he's such a Geek." I smiled at Dean who tried to hide his grin.

"You two are like peas in a pod." He looked at Sam who rolled his eyes again.

"What's been happening?" Sam asked Matt.

"A lot. I mean, from bees to earthworms, beetles…you name it. It's like they're congregating here."

"Why?" Dean asked out loud, probably not meaning to. Knowing Matt didn't have the answer he wanted.

"I don't know." Matt answered him.

"What's that?" Sam nodded to a mound of what looked like dirt. We all walked over to it and realized, to my dissatisfaction that it was a pile of earth worms.

"That's, just wrong." I held a hand over my mouth and looked away as Dean placed a foot on them and they caved into the ground. He picked up a stick and began poking around, until he hit something.

"There's something down there." He threw the stick away and rolled up his sleeve.

"Please don't Dean." I begged him, looking away.

He took no notice and began to root around in the hole. "Come on. Come on." His face screwed up like mine as he pulled out a skull.

"Say hello to Hamlet." I muttered and Sam smirked at me.

Sam made an appointment to see the professor at the local University later that night, which gave me time to empty Lynda's house of my things. It didn't take that long, most of it was still in the two suitcases. I dumped everything in the Impala, much to Dean's disapproval.

"You're only stuck with me two more days at the most Dean." I smiled at him. "I'll be going back to Chicago after that."

"Does Dad visit you then?" he asked me as he heaved my bag on the back seat.

"Some times." I shrugged. "If he's passing through, Mom will make him dinner. I'll get my usual lecture of shoot first ask questions later." I climbed into the front seat with him. "Why did you leave us?" I asked him.

He shrugged "Not sure. Dad didn't want you in anymore danger than you had to be in. I mean, what happened to Sam, happened to you twice."

"Don't remind me." I smiled, playing with my coat.

"So, you and Matt… did you…"

"What?" I looked at him in shock. "You think that we dated?" I asked him.

"You might have. He likes you."

"That's only because I'm the only girl he'll speak to. He's like a brother Dean."

"Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked me.

I sighed "Yeah." I muttered and his eyes widened "For God's sake, don't tell anyone. The last thing he needs is a bunch of pissed hunters at his door!"

"What makes you think I won't go?" he glared out of the front window screen.

"I never said you wouldn't. But you can't do anything if you don't know where he lives." I smirked.


	8. Chapter 8

We pulled up on campus later that night with Sam in toe, meaning I was demoted to back seat again, with the box full of skeleton's which reeked of earth and mud. I scowled as I got out of the car and followed behind Sam and Dean.

"So a bunch of skeletons in an unmarked grave." Sam began the conversation.

"Well, maybe this is a haunting. Pissed off spirits…some unfinished business?"

"Yeah, maybe. The question is, why bugs? And why now?" Sam thought out loud.

"That's two questions." Dean abruptly stopped, a sign he was pissed about something other than bugs. "Hey, so with that kid back there… how could you tell him to just ditch his family like that?"

"Just, ah, I know what the kid's going through." He smirked at him, thinking it was obvious.

"How about telling him to respect his old man? How's that for advice?" Dean retorted quickly.

I wasn't going to get involved with this one at all. It was between the Winchester boys, and things could get very heated with the two of them when they were arguing.

"Dean, come on. This isn't about his old man. You think I didn't respect Dad. That's what this is about."

Dean stared Sam out and then began to walk again. "Let's forget it alright. Sorry I brought it up."

"I respected him. But no matter what I did, it was never good enough." Sam continued as Dean stopped again nearer the building.

"So, what are you saying, Dad was disappointed in you?"

""Was"? Is. Always has been."

"Why would you think that?" Dean looked hurt.

"Because I didn't wanna bowhunt. Or hustle pool. Because I wanted to go to school and live my life. Which, in our whacked-out family, made me the freak." Sam listed his reasons.

"Yeah, you were kind of like the blonde chick in The Munsters." Dean tried to joke about it.

"Dean, you know what most dads are when their kids score a full ride? Proud. Most dads don't toss their kids out of the house."

"I remember that fight. In fact, I seem to recall a few choice phrases coming out of your mouth." He defended Uncle John.

"You know, truth is, when we finally do find Dad… I don't know if he's even gonna wanna see me."

"Sam, Dad was never disappointed in you. Never. He was scared." Dean assured his younger brother. Uncle John and scared was something I had never pictured in my whole life. Apart from the time I nearly drowned when we took a vacation.

"What are you talking about?"

"He was afraid of what could've happened to you if he wasn't around. But even when you two weren't talking… he used to swing by Stanford whenever he could. Keep an eye on you. Make sure you were safe." Dean explained to a shocked Sam.

Even I knew that was true. He was always on the phone to my Mom, telling her how Sam was doing, how proud he was, how he'd wished he'd told him so.

"What?"

"Yeah." Dean smirked.

"Why didn't he tell me any of that?" Sam was feeling guilty now.

"Well, it's a two- way street, dude. You could have picked up the phone." He patted his arm. "Come on. We're gonna be late for out appointment." He turned to me "You go back to the car and stay there."

I set my jaw and stared him out "No way. I'm coming with you."

"No, your not. You don't look a day over sixteen, you'll never pass for a college student." He informed me. "That and Ruth will kill us if anything happens to you." Sam tried to comfort me.

"Come on…its not like it's the killer professor!" I looked at Dean, pleading with him a little bit, but like Uncle John, his mind was made up and there was no changing it. "Fine!" I snatched the keys out of his hand and stormed back to the Impala. "Stupid…arghh." I kicked the tire before slamming myself on the front seat.

I waited a good hour for them to come back and climbed into the back when they did. Dean took the keys back off me and I smiled as I scowled.

"So where we going now?" I asked him, still sulking.

"Sulpluppa. To speak to the Native tribe up there. We're dealing with a bunch of pissed Native American spirits by the looks of things."

"Oh." I stated. "So when were you going to tell me Uncle John has been missing?"

"We weren't. We didn't want to worry you." Sam informed me.

"It's not like he hasn't done this before." I shrugged it off.

"Yeah, well, he's never been gone this long." Dean muttered.

I chuckled a little. "He wouldn't leave you unless he had good reason Dean. It must be a big thing for him to…"

"How the hell do you know about all of this?" Sam interrupted me.

"Seriously Sam. I know more stuff than you give me credit for." I assured him.

"How?" Dean stared me out through the rear view mirror.

"I have my contacts."

"The whole point of Dad sending you and Ruth away was to protect you from this Mary. He didn't want you involved with the hunting game." Dean scolded me.

"But what if I want to get involved Dean. The thing that killed your Mom, nearly killed mine twice. Doesn't that give me some sort of right?" I questioned him.

"Yeah. We can't watch your back all of the time Mary. One day, you'll take on something too big for you and you'll get seriously hurt. Don't ask us to cope with that. Don't ask Dad to cope with that." He rubbed his head. "I'll book us into a Motel."

Dean drove us out of Oasis Plains, I must have fallen asleep in the back of the car, but I remember him lifting me out and carrying me into the Motel. I instantly buried my head in his leather jacket and fell back to sleep there.

When I woke up, Sam and Dean were already mulling around the place. I rubbed my forehead and pulled the blanket over it.

"Come on sunshine, time to get up." Dean teased me as played with my hair which was poking out over the blanket.

"What time is it?" I muttered to him.

"5-30." Sam laughed at me.

"Dude, seriously!" I growled and sat up. "Things that go bump usually happen in the night!" I moaned as I pulled my hair back.

"We know. But we have stuff to find out first." Sam continued to laugh. "Your clothes are in the bathroom for you. We'll let you use the shower first."

"Arghh. If its not bugs." I got out of the bed "It's the 5-30 wake up call. You can tell you were raised by an ex-army guy."

"Actually…" Dean went to correct me.

"Whatever Dean, I don't care." I moaned and locked myself in the bathroom.

I showered quickly and got ready even quicker. Pulling my jeans on a white tank top and heavy knit cardigan. I pulled the top half of my hair back loosely, securing it with a band. I pulled the black snickers onto my feat and made sure I was half decent before leaving the bathroom. I scooped up the dirty clothes and stuffed them into a plastic carrier bag.

"Feel better now?" Dean asked me and I nodded.

"I'm just so not a morning person, that's all." I smirked at him.

"We got you breakfast." Sam nodded toward the table.

"Thank you." I smiled and took the tea and a donut off the table, eating it slowly.


	9. Chapter 9

When we'd finished we drove over to the reservation in Sulpluppa and after asking someone, made our way to the diner.

Dean nodded at an old withered man, sorting through his cards and Sam nodded before they moved in to ask him questions.

"Joe White Tree? We'd like to ask you a few questions, if that's all right." Sam began and the Old man nodded.

"We're students from the university." Dean embellished his story, which usually worked from what I had heard.

"No, you're not. You're lying." Joe spotted it straight away and I laughed a little.

"I like this guy." I muttered to myself.

"Erm," he looked at Sam for support, but he was just as amused as I was "well, the truth is—"

"You know who starts sentence with "truth is"? Liars." Joe stayed on the same track.

"Have you heard of Oasis Plains? It's a housing development near the Atoka Valley." Sam put it straight, saving Dean's ass and his hunt all in one.

"I like him. He's not a liar." He stared Dean out for a while before turning back to Sam "I know the area."

"What can you tell us about the history there?"

"May I?" I gestured to the chair opposite the old man and he nodded. I sat down in front of him and settled down, ready to take in any information he might give us.

"Why do you want to know?" he continued to ask Sam, ignoring Dean completely.

"Something… " Sam stuttered out I rolled my eyes and finished for him.

"Something bad is happening in Oasis Plains. We think it might have something to so with some old bones we found there. Native American bones." I smiled at him.

"I'll tell you what my grandfather told me. What his grandfather told him," Joe began "Two hundred years ago, a band of my ancestors lived in that valley. One day the American cavalry came to relocate them.

They were resistant… the cavalry impatient. As my grandfather put it "On the night the moon and the sun share the sky as equals… the cavalry first raided our village." They murdered, raped. The next day, the cavalry came again. And the next and the next. And on the sixth night, the cavalry came one last time. And by the time the sun rose… every man, women and child still in the village was dead. They say on the sixth night… as the chief of the village lay dying… he whispered to the heavens… that no white man would ever tarnish this land again. Nature would rise up and protect the valley. And it would bring as many days of misery and death… to the white man as the cavalry had brought upon his people."

"God." I muttered under my breath before turning to Dean and noticing he shared my expression.

"Insects." He turned to Sam "Sounds like nature to me."

"Six days." Sam repeated for assurance.

"And on the night of the sixth day…" Joe added "none would survive."

A silence passed over us. "Thank you Mr. White Tree." I muttered before we left the diner.

We walked out into the sun before we began our conversation again.

"When did the gas-company man die?" Sam asked Dean.

"Arhh, let's see. We got here Tuesday, so Friday the 20th." He confirmed it in his head.

"March 20th. That's the spring equinox." Sam smiled at his own knowledge.

"The night the sun and the moon share the sky as equals." All of the information Joe had giving us started to make sense.

"So every year about this time, anybody in Oasis Plains is in danger. Larry built his neighborhood on cursed land." Sam shook his head in disbelief.

"And on the sixth night, that's tonight."

"If we don't do something, Larry's family will be dead by sunrise. So how do we break a curse?"

"You don't break a curse. You get out of its way. We gotta get those people out now." He stated seriously as he got into the car.

I rolled my eyes "God my moms got timing." I stated as I slammed myself against the back seat.

Dean drove as fast as he could, with the night drawing in around us, we had little over two hours to get back to Oasis Plains.

Dean took out his cell and called Larry, making up a story as the phone dialled, ready when Larry picked up the phone,

"Yes, Mr. Pike. There's a mainline gas leak in your neighborhood." Dean started and I leant in to hear the conversation.

"God. Really? How big?" He wasn't buying it for a moment.

"Well its fairly extensive. I don't wanna alarm you…but we need your family out of the vicinity for at least 12 hours or so. Just to be safe".

"Who is this again?" he sounded annoyed as he went along with Dean's game.

"Travis Weaver. I work for Oklahoma Gas and Power." He said the first name that came into his head.

"A-ha. The problem is, I know Travis. He's worked with us for a year. So who is this?" he demanded to know. I flung myself against the seat again as Dean closed the phone.

"Ahhh, give me the phone." He snatched it out of Dean's hands and called Matt.

"Hello?" I could hear how distressed Matt was on the other end of the phone.

"Matt, it's Sam."

"Sam. My back yard's crawling with cockroaches."

"Matt, just listen, You have to get your family out of that house right now, okay?"

"Wh-what? Why?" he stuttered along trying to make sense of the situation.

"Because something's coming."

"More bugs?"

"Yeah. A lot more."

"My dad doesn't listen to me in the best of circumstances. What am I supposed to tell him?"

"You gotta make him listen okay." Sam reassured him and I saw Dean roll his eyes.

"Give me the phone." He snatched out of Sam's hands "Matt, under no circumstances are you to tell the truth. He'll just think your nuts."

"But he's my…"

"Tell him you have a sharp pain in your right side… and you gotta go to the hospital, okay." Dean ordered him sternly.

"Yeah. Yeah, okay." Matt agreed with him before Dean put the phone down and threw it on the seat next to him.

""Make him listen." What are you thinking?" he rolled his eyes and put his foot down even more.

We pulled up outside the house and I felt my heart reach the bottom of my stomach as the car was there and the lights on in the house.

"Can he do nothing?" I muttered out loud.

"Damn it. They're still here." Dean put on the breaks "Come on."

We all got out of the car and were greeted very quickly by a rather pissed Larry.

"Get off my property before I call the cops." He ordered and I looked taken aback "Wait until I tell your mother young lady."

"Mr. Pike, Listen—" Sam began to plead with him and Matt joined in.

"Dad, they're just trying to help." He voice cracked.

"Get in the house!" He shouted at Matt.

I looked at Matt and rolled my eyes, knowing what he had done.

"Sorry. I told him the truth." He confessed.

"We had a plan, Matt. What happened to the plan?" Dean questioned him.

"Look, It's 12 a.m." the voice of reason cut into the bickering "They are coming any minute now. You need to get your family and go. Before it's too late."

"Wait, you mean, before the biblical swarm?"

"Trust me Larry, biblical has little to do with what's going to happen here." I begged him to understand.

"Larry, what do you think really happened to that realtor, huh? And the gas-company guy. You don't think something weird's going on around here?" Dean explained to him.

Larry took a deep breath "Look, I don't know who you are, but you're crazy. You came near my boy or my family again, and we're going to have a problem."

"Well I hate to be a downer, but we got a problem right now."

"Mr. Pike, please. Don't make me explain to my Mom how you died." I took a breath "Look she trusts Sam and Dean with me. She knows what she's doing, now please, just listen to them!"

"Dad, Mary's right. We're in danger!" Matt begged his father on my behalf.

"Matt, get inside!" Larry continued to shout.  
"No!" Matt put his foot down for the first time in his life.

"Now!"

"Why won't you listen to me?"

"Because this is crazy! It doesn't make any sense!"

"Look," Sam began to explain "this land is cursed. People have died here. Now are you really gonna take that risk with your family?"

"Wait." Dean began "You hear it?"

the buzzing began at the end of the street, causing us all to fall silent.

"What the hell?" Larry began.

All of our eyes widened at the sight of the swarm, huge in mass.

"Shit." I muttered.

"Right its time to go. Larry get your wife." Dean ordered him and ushered me toward the Impala.

"Yeah." He whimpered.

"Guys." Matt looked at Sam and Dean for help.

"Oh My God. We'll never make it." Larry commented and I looked at Dean to come up with something.

"Everybody in the house. Everybody in the house! Go!" He took hold of my arm and practically dragged me up the stairs of the porch and flung me in the house.

"Is there anyone else in the neighborhood?" Sam asked out loud as he locked the door.

"No, it's just us." Larry muttered, still in shock with his first encounter.

"Honey, what's happening? What's that noise?" Joanie came through from the lounge.

"Call 911." He shouted "Joanie!"

"Okay." She stuttered out and went away again.

"I need towels." Dean informed him.

"Err, the closet." Larry pointed and Dean took them out, pushing them against the door.

"Right, we gotta lock this place up, come on. Doors, widows, the fireplace, everything, okay." He ordered Matt and I, together we ran around the house, shutting off everything we could find. I sprinted back down the stairs.

"Must have chewed through the phone lines."

The house went black "And the power lines." I added and went to stand next to Dean.

"Maybe my cell…" he flicked it open and tried 911 "No signal."

"You won't get one. They're blanketing the house."

I felt my stomach lurch "Give me a pissed off ghost any day." I complained.

"So what do we do now?" Larry asked as Dean went to the kitchen.

"We try to outlast it. Hopefully the curse will end at sunrise." Sam assured him.

""Hopefully"? "

"Well, we wouldn't be in this if you'd have listened to your son Larry." I shouted at him and he looked taken aback at my frantic state. Dean returned from the kitchen.

"Bug spray?" Joanie questioned him.

"Trust me." Dean smiled at her and I rolled my eyes, pacing the room, almost hyperventilating.

There was noise coming from inside the wall that made me jump.

"What is that?" Matt asked Sam.

He went to the wall and listened before stepping back "The flue."

"All right, I think everybody needs to get upstairs." Dean stated.

No sooner had said that than a swarm broke through the wall, Dean acted quickly and lit the bug spray.

"Everybody get upstairs! Now! Go, go, go! Hurry! Go, go, go!"

We all sprinted up the stairs, defending ourselves from the bugs as best we could with our hands.

Sam pulled the ladder down for the loft, we all got up into it, Matt being the last one.

"Go on, Matt, go!" Sam shouted at him.

"Hurry! Hurry, Matt!" His frantic mother pulled him up and into her arms, backing away quickly from the loft hatch. 

Sam tried to pull the loft hatch shut, but somehow, it was stuck fast.

"Come on!" Dean shouted and helped him shut it with little effort.

"Oh, God, What's that?" Joanie said as she looked up,  
"Something's eating through the wood." Dean's face screwed up.

"Termites." Matthew informed us and I looked at him, my face wide eyed in shock.

"Alright, everybody get back. Get back! Get back!" Dean ordered us and we did as we were told.

"Get back!" Sam shouted at Matt, who wanted to stay there.

"Matt." Joanie ordered her son who did as his mother told him.

The ceiling gave way and the bugs fell through, swarming around the room, I cowered back with Matt as Sam and Dean blocked the hole in the ceiling.

"You got it?"

"Yeah. Go, go, go!" Dean shouted

"Get it!"

When they'd finished blocking that hole in the ceiling another bunch of bugs fell through, this time, nearer to us.

"Crap." Dean shouted as his flame thrower ran out and he ran to us.

Putting his leather jacket above our heads as I huddle in closer to him, cowering for protection against the bites I was receiving.

Somewhere between me being afraid and being bitten, the light broke through the hole in the roof. As it did, the bugs, al of the flying vermin, flew back out of the hole and away from the house.

Dean got up from the floor, and I soon followed brushing myself off.

"Is it over?" I asked them both, huddling myself in my arms.

"Yeah, Mary, I think it is." Sam nodded to me


	10. Chapter 10

We made our way back down to the main house and I let out a sigh of relief as it seemed relatively untouched.

"So, you still up for the hunting game?" Dean asked me as we walked out into the sun.

"Maybe, as long as it doesn't involve creepy crawlies, of the insect kind at least." I smiled as he pulled out a dead termite from my hair. "Call me. When you find Uncle John, tell him I miss him."

Dean smirked "I will." He hugged me tightly.

A car pulled up onto the driveway, my Moms car.

"Timing." Dean stated.

"That's my Mom for you." I smiled and ran to her.

"God! Are you okay honey?" she asked me and I nodded.

"I'm fine, Dean looked after me." I smiled at her as Dean waved from the porch.

The next day my Mom and I helped the Pike's pack up the removal van early in the morning. Larry seemed determined to get out of Oasis Plains as quickly as he could.

I smirked as I heard the Impala's noisy engine pull up outside the house, Sam and Dean emerging.

"What, no goodbye?" Dean asked outloud,

"Good timing. Another hour and we'd have been gone." Larry smiled and shook his hand.

"For Good?" Sam asked him.

"Yeah. The development's on hold… while the government investigates those bones you found. But I'm gonna make damn sure that no one lives here again."

"You don't seem too upset about it."

"Well, this has been the biggest financial disaster of my career… but somehow…" he looked at Matt "I really don't care."

I beamed at him and smiled as he went to help my Mom and Joanie, Sam making his way over to Matt.

"So, what's next on the Winchester hit list Deano?" I asked him playfully.

"Only you will ever get away with that!" he warned "I'm not sure, we go where we're needed."

"Take care of yourself Dean please, you and Sam. No matter how much he annoys me." I laughed a little as he hugged me again. "Don't be a stranger."

"I won't I promise." He smiled. "You're a better hunter than we gave you credit for. I phoned Bobby, said you'd done a few gigs on your own around Chicago."

"Yeah, well, don't tell Mom! She'd hate me to run off with you two, or Uncle John. Say's I'm to much of a Winchester sometimes."

"That's not always a bad thing." He smirked.

"Ready to go Mary?" My Mom shouted at me.

"Sure Mom!" I shouted back before smiling at both of my cousins. "Bye Sam." I hugged him "Uncle John will be okay, I promise." I assured him as I pulled away. "Bye Dean." I smiled and quickly hugged him. "Don't miss me too much!"

"I won't don't worry."


	11. Home

I smiled as I heard the familiar engine in the driveway, not the Impala this time, but something bigger.

I jumped up out of the sofa, still in my pajamas and my black hair still tied back in a mess. I threw my book and journal on the coffee table and ran out of the front door.

"Uncle John!" I exclaimed as I saw him.

He turned to face me and smiled his tired smile. His face got older every time I saw him, but to me he was still the same old John Winchester. He dropped his bag and opened is arms. I couldn't fight the urge to run to him. I could feel my face beaming as he grasped me tightly against him.

"Mary!" He whispered gruffly. "Its good to see you." He put me back on the floor. "Happy birthday by the way." He tapped my nose "Seventeen. Big hurdle."

"My Mom said exactly the same thing when she thought I was asleep last night." I smiled.

"She still sits in your room then?"

"Yeah. She gets lonely I suppose. That, and I apparently need protecting." I grinned, as did he.

"Any thoughts on College yet?" He asked me as we walked back to the house.

I shook my head profusely "Not yet, no. Moms got me piped for Ivy League, Dartmouth probably. Keep me off the hunting game as long as possible. She knows she won't be able to stop me once I've set my mind to something."

"She's right." He sighed. "I'd hate to see you get in too deep."

"I never go looking." I grinned. "I just…"

"Know the signs." He laughed at me. "So you know how to recognize it."

"That time at school was the only time I ever needed help." I pursed my lips into a line.

"True." He smiled. "Come on."

We went into the house.

"So where is your mom?" he asked me.

"Out at the mall, I think. She'll be back soon." I smiled and went to the kitchen. "Do you want a coffee?"

"Yeah, sure Mary." He whispered as I poured him a cup.

"Black, one sugar, if I remembered it right." I handed him the hot liquid and he nodded.

"You sure did." He smiled and picked up the newspaper. He scrutinized the things my Mom had circled. "She's expanding the business then?" he asked me.

"What, oh yeah, I suppose so. I mean, her share in Oasis Plains fell through."

"Oasis Plains?" he questioned me as I sat on the chair opposite him.

"Yeah, it was a development in Oklahoma." I smiled "I'll go and get ready, Mom will throw a hissy fit if I'm not dressed by twelve." I smiled and ran up the stairs returning a half hour later, clean and presentable.

"So, where have you been?" I asked him as I sat on the sofa next to him, my feat curled under me.

"No where in particular." He shrugged and I left it. "So, Oklahoma, why so far out?"

"Mom knows the owner. I went to pre-school and elementary with his son, Matt when we first moved here."

"So, he just wanted financial support?" he asked and I nodded.

"Suppose. That went down the drain, Mom had her insurance to fall back on though." I smiled and took a drink of orange.

"Any reason for it falling through?" he prodded as he watched the T.V.

"No reason." I shrugged and he laughed "Fine! Larry built the housing development on cursed land. Native American land. Around the Civil War, the army tried to relocate a tribe and they resisted. The army got annoyed; they came back every night for six days, killing, amongst other things. Then, by the sixth night, everyone was dead. So, the chief cursed the land, saying that no white man would live there again. Nature would rise above them and kill them."

"How many died?" John asked, "Before you stopped it?"

"Three. A surveyor, a gas company guy and moms friend Lynda." I shrugged.

"I'm sorry." He muttered gruffly. "How did you stop it?"

"We didn't." I answered.

"We? I thought your mom was against you hunting."

"She is." I avoided his gaze "Sam and Dean turned up, Mom had to come back here. So they looked after me."

"Ah. You didn't tell them…"

"I'd seen you? No." I stated. "Their worried Uncle John. Sam especially, he's annoyed with himself."

"For what?"

"Not calling you. Not apologizing." I smiled at him and let him hug me against his chest.

"He doesn't need to." He kissed my hair and rubbed my shoulder. "So your birthday, anything happening?"

I shook my head "Nothing much. Mom booked a table for dinner tonight, she didn't know you were coming."

"Oh." He smiled.

"Neither did I for that matter!" I scolded him "Why are you here?" I asked him as I sat up.

"To wish you happy birthday." He grinned.

"You drove hundreds of miles to tell your niece happy birthday?"

"Stranger things have happened." He added in his defense.

"You would know." I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure Mom could book another seat at dinner. If you're staying that is?"

"Do you want me to stay?" He asked me.

"Of course I do." I smiled at him. "Be nice though." I warned him.

"Why? Who have I got to be nice to?" he looked like he was going to turn into Dean.

"My boyfriend." I muttered.

"Oh. How old is he?"

"Twenty, just…."

"Too old." He growled.

"Uncle John please don't. Do you not think I had this from Caleb, Bobby and Jim?"

"I don't care." He continued, "I know what boys are like at that age Mary Ellen."

"He's not like that." I assured him. "He's a nice, respectable, grade-A student."

"And?" he knew I was keeping something from him.

"He's Bobby's nephew." He laughed in denial as I bit my lip. "So I don't have to explain. That you should be scared of things that goes bump in the night!"

"Does your Mom know he's a hunter?" he asked me, still annoyed.

"No! Uncle John, please don't tell her. His parents don't know either, they're going tonight! Please don't!"

A wicked grin fell on his face "Fine. I won't tell her, on the condition, that next year, you try to get your ass to college."

"Like Sam." I glared at him. "You want me to be a geek like Sam."

He raised an eyebrow "That's my offer."

"Fine! I'll go to college." I muttered, annoyed not seeming to cover it.

"It doesn't mean I won't lecture…"

"Daniel."

"Daniel tonight." He kissed my head. "Now, present time."

"If it's a purse or hint of perfume, I don't want to know!" I told him sternly.

"You wish!" he chuckled at me and ruffled my hair. "Here." He handed me a bag.

I looked at him confused and then I pulled out a box. "Pastor Jim?"

He nodded at me and I smiled at him. "Open it."

I pulled it open and beamed "Well, a cross doesn't work, against most things. But…"

"But…" he smiled

"Its beautiful all the same." I hugged him.

"Turn around." He smiled and fastened it; I placed a hand on it.

"I'll have to thank him."

"You don't have to. He knows how grateful you are." He hugged me again. "I can't believe you're growing up."

The front door went and my Mom came into the house.

"Mary!" She shouted and came into the living room, her hands full of bags. "There you are honey! Happy Birthday." She dropped her shopping and hugged me. "I'd have woken you but you seemed to be having nightmares last night."

"I'm fine now, I promise." I smiled at her.

"Look who I found on the doorstep," she nodded and I went outside. I grinned as I noticed my boyfriend standing there. Daniel's perfect figure was shown off through a fitted t-shirt and jeans. His blonde hair perfectly messy.

"Happy Birthday." He beamed at me and I ran out to him. Letting him hold me in his arms.

"It is now!" I smiled and kissed him, my lips encasing his top one as I finished.

"John's here I take it." He nodded at the RV.

"Yeah. He is." I bit my lip in worry.

"He knows about us?" he asked.

"How did you know…"

"Well, the fact he looks like he's going to kill me might have something to do with it."

"Oh." I turned to the door. "Ignore him, he's promised to be on his best behavior tonight."

"I'll try to be as well," he wickedly grinned at me before kissing me on the lips again. "Oh, present." He smiled and dug in his pocket. He handed me a box and I opened it. I chocked as I saw a key inside it.

"You didn't?" I asked him and he nodded.

"Uncle Bobby helped me a hell of a lot." He pointed at the opposite side of the street. A black 50's Cadillac sat on the pavement.

"Oh my God!" I screamed and ran over to it. I could see Uncle John and my Mom run after Daniel and I.

"She's beautiful." I grinned as I ran my hand over the bonnet. "How did you know?"

"Uncle Bobby may have hinted at it, he said you spotted it straight away when you were at his."

"I love Uncle Bobby!" I exclaimed.

"I hope not as much as you love me?" He muttered as he wound his arms around me again.

"Of course not." I smiled and looked at my Mom "May I?"

She laughed at Uncle John's face and then beamed at me "Of course you can. I'm sure Danny would like to take you shopping instead of me."

"I wouldn't bet on it Mom!" I added sarcastically.

"Oh ye of little faith!" Danny rolled his eyes "That was the plan anyway!"

"I'll go and get my purse then shall I?" I smiled before running into the house and returning with my shoulder bag. "I'll be home soon, I promise." I kissed Uncle John on the cheek before jumping into my new Caddy.

I smiled as I started up the engine "God, listen to her purr!" I grinned and kissed Danny on the neck. "Come on then baby." I laughed as we drove to the Mall.

I squealed in delight as we parked the car, "She runs like a dream!"

"I should think so!" Danny laughed at me as we got out and I locked her up.

I put my arms around his neck. "Thank you!" I kissed him on the nose.

"Your very welcome Mary." He laughed and kissed my mouth. "Come on, you have to look good for my Mom and Dad tonight!"

"I wish it was Bobby coming. Although, no, bad idea." I took his hand and we made our way into the mall.

"Why darling?" he looked at me with amusement.

"Last time Bobby saw John, he pulled a rifle on him. Dean told me."

"How is Dean?" he asked me "I haven't heard anything since Sam's girlfriend was killed."

"I know. Poor Sammy, I couldn't even think how I would cope if you died." I muttered.

"Hey!" he took my face in his hands "I'm not going anywhere! I promise you!" he kissed my head. "Now come on, we'll go and get something knock out for you to wear, you're mom was pretty generous with the cash."

"What can I say, I'm a mummy's girl!" I laughed as he dragged me around the Mall.

When we got home, I ran to the shower to get cleaned up. I put on my new underwear and my new black lace straight dress and heels.

My mom came in the room and smiled at the site in front of her. "I can't believe you're nearly all grown up!" she held my shoulders and looked in the mirror with me. "Come on, I'll do you're hair for you." She sat me in the chair and played with my hair, deciding on what to do with it.

"That's it." She smiled and brushed the top half back, fastening it with a silver hair clip. She played with the loose curls at the front of my face "There you go, all done baby!" she turned me around in the chair. "I like this!" she played with my new silver Channel necklace "Who bought you it?"

"You did." I smiled as I played with it. "Thanks Mom!" I hugged her.

"Come on, Uncle John wants to have a go in the Caddy!" she laughed and so did I as we made our way downstairs.

I beamed at Uncle John "Ahh. You scrub up nice!"

"I thought I'd make the effort for you!" he smiled at me "You look nice as well!"

"Dinner time!" My Mom enthused and we made our way to the restaurant.

I beamed as I saw Danny was already there, waiting for me patiently outside with his mom and dad.

I took a deep breath and looked at Uncle John for support.

"It's okay. They look pretty decent." He shrugged "I'll shoot them for you if they start."

"John!" my Mom scolded him "Those are two of the biggest socialites in Chicago. He started from nothing, a cars salesman. And she, well…"

"Regular gold digger from what I've heard." I smiled at him "Don't worry, we'll go for a burger when this is over."

"I think I'll need it!" he laughed at me as we got there.

"Hey beautiful." Danny kissed my cheek before taking my hand. "Mom, Dad, this is my girlfriend Mary Campbell, and her mother Ruth Campbell and her Uncle, John Winchester."

"Nice to finally meet you honey." His mom smiled at me and then my mom "Ruth and John. I'm Mrs. Singer, you can call me Charlotte. This is my husband, Jim." She smiled and he shook my hand gently.

"Pleasure to finally meet you Mary. Daniel has told us so much about you already. Come on in, we'll get our table." Jim smiled at me dubiously before leading us into the restaurant.

"I think I like Uncle Bobby better." I muttered to Uncle John.

"Yep, same here. Even if he did try to pull a gun on me." He chuckled.

The night passed without any sort of major disaster. Uncle John had thrown Danny the warning glances before we'd reached the restaurant anyway.


	12. Chapter 12

Mom made us a huge lunch the next day, Uncle John stayed with us over night. I didn't want to ask where he had slept, but both my Mom and him had smug faces.

I ate heartily, I was happy that Uncle John was civil with Daniel last night; he liked him because he could relate to him.

I drank my orange juice with a smile; the cross Pastor Jim had given me around my neck and the charm bracelet Uncle John had given me around my wrist, much to my mother's disapproval.

The phone in my pocket vibrated loudly and I looked at my Mom. She smiled and nodded at me to take the call. I looked at the name and then scowled at Uncle John, telling him to keep his mouth shut.

I got and paced a little "Dean, what is it? Have you found Uncle John?"

"No, I'm in Lawrence. With Sam." He sounded like he was petrified by something.

I chocked back "Why the hell would you be in Lawrence Dean?" I looked at Uncle John who was caught by the conversation immediately.

"I think the thing that killed mom, its back. In my old house."

"Stay there Dean, I'm on my way down."

"No, Mary. The thing that got your mom, if it's back."

"Dean, it got your mom too. If Sam's safe enough there, I should be safe enough. I'm on my way down."

"Thanks Mary."

'"Keep safe Dean" I put the phone down and tapped it against my mouth. Trying to hold back my tears, I had never heard Dean like that in my life. He was more than upset, he was hysterical.

"What's the matter Mary?" Uncle John's voice jarred into my conscience.

"They're in Lawrence. Something's in your old house." The tears I'd fought back were falling down my face, "Deans scared; I've never heard him like that in all my life." John got up and held me to him, soothing me. "I'm going down there…" I muttered as I pulled away and made my way to the stairs.

"No!" my Mom shouted at me, causing me to stop and turn to face her.

"Mom! I have to!" I begged her through my sobs.

"No, I forbid you to go Mary Ellen. You have no idea what you're dealing with." She choked on her own tears, which I knew were created out of anger than being upset. "It nearly killed me, it killed Mary." She put a hand to her throat looking out of the window before turning to face me after she'd composed herself. "You're going nowhere near it." She fixed her glare on me.

"Aunt Mary had no idea what she was dealing with! Neither did Uncle John!" I shouted at her, she looked taken aback and I stopped to compose myself. "I'm going, Dean needs me Mom. He's petrified to go back there. He remembers it all! Sam hasn't got a clue."

"You leave now, you never come home! You spend your life demon hunting!" she shouted at me as she piled the plates on the table "I mean it Mary Ellen." She took them to the kitchen.

I looked pleadingly at Uncle John who knew I was serious about this.

"Mary Ellen."

"Yes sir."

"Get your things. I'll take you down to Kansas." He nodded and I smiled at him, letting him hug me. I heard a plate crash on the floor and my Mom reappeared.

"What?! You are not taking my little girl John Winchester!" she screamed at him and I took my cue to run and get my things.

"I'll look after her, I promise." I turned to see him hug my mother gently around the shoulders and kiss her head. I shook it off and went to my bedroom and packed.

I ignored my Mom's glare as I jumped in the RV with Uncle John, who wasn't best pleased that I was going to meet up with Dean.

"Do you think it's really _thee_ Demon?" I asked him.

He shrugged and then shook his head "No, its not. I don't know what it is." He rubbed his head.

"I'm sorry Uncle John." I muttered.

"What the hell for?" he looked at me in shock.

"Creating a scene back there. I thought…"

"Your Mom would be cool with this?" he rose an eyebrow and we laughed together.

"No. I just thought she would be…calmly angry." I smiled.

"Never happen." He grinned, "Not if I know Ruth."

I swallowed hard "Did you and my mom ever…I mean this morning…you both seemed pretty pleased with yourselves." I played with my hands and looked out of the window.

"I don't think you need me to answer that." He avoided my gaze.

"Did you know my dad?" I asked him.

"I've heard of him. He was a decent guy."

"Until he left my pregnant mom." I scoffed. "How long have we got?" I asked him.

"About an hour." He smiled.

"Okay, be quiet and I'll call Dean." I muttered as I took out my phone. "Dean, where are you?"

"Erm, outside a garage, Where off to some physic called Missouri." He added.

"As in the state Missouri?" I asked so Uncle John knew where he was going.

"Yeah, that's what I said." He sharply added, a defense that kicked in when he was upset.

"I'll meet you there Dean." I sighed and sat back in the chair. "You've got the car with you, haven't you?" I added as a blonde moment.

"Sure I have." He chuckled.

"Okay, cause Mom wouldn't let me have mine." I laughed back.

"Oh I bet she's pissed with you."

"Pissed is not the word Dean." I smiled.

"How did you get down here?" he clicked.

"I have my way's Deano. You're not the only hustler in this family."

"I know. And the Deano thing, stops now."

"Fine! I'll see you soon." I put the phone down and placed it in my bag. "You're going to have to drop me somewhere."

I could see him weigh it up in his mind. "I'll drop you a couple of blocks away. Just walk straight on, you won't miss it."

"That and the Impala will be parked outside." I smiled and he nodded.

He pulled over on the curb and sighed, gripping the steering wheel before looking at me.

"Be careful Mary. Promise you won't get hurt." He placed a hand on my face.

"I won't Uncle John." I wrapped my arms around his neck quickly and then pulled away. "I'll call you when it's over."

I jumped out of the RV and made my way down the street, looking aimlessly for any sign that the Winchester boy's were in town.

I let out a sigh of relief when I spotted the Impala sitting on the pavement.

"Hey Kaz." I muttered before I made my way into the small building.

"Dean?" I smiled at him as he sat on the sofa. He grinned when he saw me, with a sigh of relief he stood up. Wrapping his arms tightly around me I was sure I could feel his tears on my shoulder. He eventually pulled away from me.

"Thank God you're here."

"You owe my Mom a major explanation when this is over." I scolded him playfully.

"You called Mary? Dean, she's a sixteen-year-old girl. How the hell is she going to help?" he began to criticize Dean's judgment without acknowledging the fact I was there.

"She is still in the room." I added pissed off. "And as from yesterday, I'm no longer sixteen. And as for help, who helped you in Oklahoma."

"Helped?" Sam chuckled "All I remember you doing was screaming."

I scowled at him and Dean saw the familiar streak of temper in my face.

"Hey, stop it, the two of you. Just calm down."

I didn't take my eyes off him as I sat on a separate sofa.

"Bitch." I muttered as I folded my arms across me.

"Jerk." Sam retorted.

"All right, then." A voice added, one I couldn't place but remembered. "Don't you worry about a thing. Your wife is crazy about you." She ushered a man out of the door before closing it and sighing. "Poor bastard. His woman is cold banging the gardener."

I couldn't help but laugh at her and Dean's face of disbelief.

"Why didn't you tell him?" he asked her.

"People don't come here for the truth. They come for good news. Well, Sam, Dean, Mary, come on already. I ain't got all day."

We all looked at each other before making our way into the other room, which was as small and musty as the first had been.

"Well, let me look at you, Oh, you boys grew up handsome. And you were on goofy-looking kid too," she laughed at Dean before taking my hands "Mary, your just as beautiful as I remember." She smiled and then turned to Sam. "Sam. Oh, Honey. I'm sorry about your girlfriend. And your father, He's missing?"

We all looked at each other in disbelief.

"How did you know all that?" Sam voiced our concerns.

"Well…. You were just thinking it, just now." She cleared the air.

"Where is he? Is he okay?" Dean barked out and I rolled my eyes.

"I don't know." She stated calmly.

"Don't know? You're supposed to be a psychic, right?"

"Boy, you see me sawing some bony tramp in half? You think I'm a magician? I may be able to read thoughts and sense energies in a room…but I can't just pull facts out of thin air." She took a breath and I laughed a little. "Sit. Please." We all did as we were told. "Boy, you put your foot on my coffee table, I'm gonna whack you with a spoon."

"I didn't do anything." He moaned.

"Well, you were thinking about it."

Sam grinned a little, as did I before he turned back to Missouri.

"Okay. So our dad, when did you first meet him?"

"He came for a reading. A few days after the fire. I just told him what was really out there in the dark. I guess you could say I drew back the curtains for him."

"What about the fire? Do you know about what killed our Mom?" Dean wasn't the most patient or tactful person in the world.

"A little. Your daddy took me to your house. He was hoping I could sense the echoes, the fingerprints of this thing."

"And could you?" Sam asked her.

"I don't…." she stuttered. Something had her scared and I turned to Dean.

"What was it?"

"I don't know. Oh…but it was evil. So, you think something's back in that house?" she asked Sam.

"Definitely."

"I don't understand." She complained.

"What?"

"I haven't been back inside… but I've been keeping any eye one the place, and it's been quiet. No sudden deaths, no freak accidents. Why is it acting up now?"

"I don't know. But Dad going missing and Jessica dying and now this house… all happening at once, it just feels like something starting."

I shuddered at it. "God, its like Demon Wars or something." I ran my hands through my hair.

"That's a comforting thought." Dean looked at me worried.

I got out of the seat and paced the room.

"So the next port of call?" I asked openly. "The house maybe?"

Sam piped up "We've been back already."

"Okay. Don't you think she might be a little freaked out if we go in all guns blazing?" I asked Missouri.

"I don't know honey. We'll soon see. Come on, we need to get there."

"I'm riding up front!" I grinned and took the key as Dean held it out for me.

I picked up my bag on the way and threw myself on the front seat.

The car journey was relatively silent, making our way back through familiar streets to Dean's first home.

I stayed near him as we walked up to the front door and knocked on it soundly. A pretty blonde woman opened it up, with a little boy in her arms. She looked like she'd seen a ghost, so the expression goes and the little boy looked like he'd been in the freezer.

"Sam, Dean. What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Jenny. Erm, this is our friend, Missouri, and our cousin, Mary." Sam introduced us and I put up my hand in a small wave.

"If its not to much trouble, we were hoping to show her the old house. You know, for old times' sake."

"You know what? This isn't a good time. I'm kinda busy." She stuttered out her words.

"Listen, Jenny, it's important..." I felt the connection of Missouri's hand as it connected with Dean's head.

"Give the poor girl a break. Can't you see she's upset?" she scolded him and I held in my laughter. "Forgive this boy. He means well, He's just not the sharpest tool in the shed. But hear me out."

"About what?" Jenny looked more confused with every moment that passed.  
"About this house."

"What are you talking about?"

"I think you know what I'm talking about. You think there's something in this house. Something that wants to hurt your family. Am I mistaken?"

"Who are you?"

"We're people who can help. Who can stop this thing. But your gonna have to trust us just a little."

I climbed the stairs after the others, the hairs on my arms seemed to stand on end.

"Dean." I muttered.

"Yeah." He looked at me.

"I know this may sound stupid, but something doesn't want me here." I swallowed hard.

"I don't think it wants any of us here."

"No, I mean, me in particular. Like I've done something to offend it already." I scanned the hallway and noticed something go into the one room. I pushed past Missouri and Sam to get there first. I looked nervously around the doorframe before entering. "Okay, I don't like this place."

Missouri smiled at me. "If there's a dark energy around here, this room should be the center of it."

"Why?" Sam looked at her

"This used to be your nursery, Sam. This is where it all happened." She turned to Dean. "That an EMF?"

"Yeah." He muttered whilst scanning the room.

"Amateur." She huffed and then started again "I don't know if you boys should be disappointed or relieved… but this ain't the thing that took your mom."

"Are you sure? How do you know?" Sam was looking for answers.  
"It isn't the same energy I felt the last time I was here. It's something different."

"What is it?" Dean looked at her.

"Not it. Them. There's more than one spirit in this place."

"What are they doing here?"

"They're here because of what happened to your family. You see, all those years ago, real evil came to you. It walked this house. That kind of evil leaves wounds. And sometimes wounds get infected."

"I don't understand." Sam looked at her.

"This place is a magnet for paranormal energy, It's attracted a poltergeist. A nasty one. And it won't rest until Jenny and her babies are dead."

"You said there was more than one spirit."

"There is. I just can't make out the second one."

"Well one thing's for damn sure. Nobody's dying in this house ever again. So whatever is here, how do we stop it?"


	13. Chapter 13

Dean was determined and when he set his mind to a job, not anyone or anything would get in his way, then because this one was personal, it made him all that much worse. We all arrived back a Missouri's, ready for any sort of task she might give us.

"Mary honey. Would you be an angel and go get these things for me? There just in the back closet." She handed me a list.

"Sure, no problem." I shrugged and she pointed out the direction I was supposed to go. I opened the closet and made my way into the musty smelling room, turning on the light. Missouri obviously hadn't had a need for this in a long time. I took down the jars that we needed, one by one, extending the task as long as possible. I nearly jumped out of my skin when the phone in my jeans pocket began to vibrate. I regained my breath and picked it up.

"Daniel Singer!" I scolded him. "What is it?"  
"Nothing." He sounded like he was sulking.

"Seriously Danny, don't worry me please." I bit my lip.

"I just wished you'd warned me you were going that's all. Or at least called me." He reeled them off.

"I'm sorry. Dean was in a state, and it was a last minute thing anyway. I'll make it up to you, I promise. I'll be back in a couple of days."

He sighed "It's not me you need to apologize to Mary, its your mom. I know you love you're Uncle John, but that's all he really is to you. An Uncle, and she, well she's the only parent you have."

His reasoning felt like he was stabbing a knife in my chest and twisting it hard. "Okay, I get the drift. I am terrible daughter as well as a terrible girlfriend…"

"Hey! I never said that! Just please keep safe on this job. I'll kill Dean if anything happens to you!"

"I will be, I promise." I clicked the phone back and placed in my pocket. The door opened and Sam appeared.

"Hey, I thought you might need a hand." He smiled at me and I had to forgive him for being an a-hole to me.

"Thanks Sam." I smiled back, hiding my upset state rather successfully.

"So how's your mom?" he asked me.

"Pretty pissed I left actually. But, I'm seventeen, I have to grow up sometime." I shrugged.

Sam snickered "Yeah I suppose. Just because your seventeen doesn't mean you're a grown up." He scolded me and I scowled at him as I took down jars and put them in his arms. "Come on, they're waiting for us."

I followed Sam to the main part of the house where Dean sat looking out of the window. I smiled and sat on the ledge next to him.

"Hey." I muttered.

He came out of his daze and looked at me "Hey. Happy birthday by the way, I didn't forget." He placed an arm around me.

"I know you didn't! How could you." I let him hold me against him. "Are you okay?"

He nodded "I will be, soon enough I will be."

"Come on, I think Missouri needs are help." I pulled away from him and went to the table. Dean sat on a chair next to it.

"Dean, a bit of everything in a pouch." She gestured and he did as he was told.

"So, what is all this stuff, anyway?" he smelt it and then tasted it.

"I don't know, but I don't think it's made for you to eat!" I giggled a little.  
"Angelica Root, Van Van oil, crossroad dirt. A few other odds and ends."

"Yeah, what are we supposed to do with it?" he scowled at me and I stuck my tongue out at him.

"We're gonna put them inside the walls… in the north, south, east, west corners on each floor of the house." Missouri simply stated.

"We're gonna be punching holes in the drywall, Jenny's gonna love that."

"She'll live." She raised her eyebrows.

"She has a point." I smiled a little with the corner of my mouth.

"And this will destroy the spirits?" Sam asked in disbelief.

"It should. It should purify the house completely. We'll each take a floor. But we work fast. Once those sprits realize what we're up to…things are gonna get bad."

"Right." Dean stated and looked at me "You're staying here."

"What?" I looked at him in disbelief. "You brought me here to help you!"

"Yeah, me. Not to get involved in the job!"

"Oh no! I'm on this one now, I mean it Dean!" I crossed my arms and glared at him but he wasn't shifting so I changed tactic. "Sam, please!" I begged him. "Come on, I'm not that useless. I'll be good and get out if things turn bad."

Sam shrugged his shoulders "She's right Dean. You can't drag her down here and not let her do the job."

Dean threw him the look of death and then turned to me "Fine, but if you get hurt, I'll tell your mom it was Sam's fault. I'm not getting on the wrong side of her again!"

"Thank you!" I practically jumped for joy as we made our way to the car with the purifying things in toe.

I helped Jenny pack the things for the kids, she was taking them out while we worked the magic on her house. She helped her daughter down the stairs as she held the baby in her arms.

"Okay. Careful." She told her daughter "Look, I'm not sure I'm comfortable leaving you guys here alone." She informed us all.

"Just take your kids to the movie or something… and it will be over by the time you get back. Okay." Missouri waved them off and I followed Dean into the house.

Something still didn't want me there and I was sure it wasn't the thing we were hunting. I held myself around the shoulders as I followed Missouri up to the attic where we began our job, quietly and quickly. No sooner had we started than things began to go wrong. Missouri stood up and no sooner had she done so than the chest of drawers slammed her against the wall.

"Shit!" I shouted as something pinned me against the wall next to her. "Come on Dean!" I screamed as Missouri was in more pain than I cared to imagine. A bright white light pulsated quickly through the house and let us go. I pulled the chest of drawers off Missouri.

"Are you okay?" I asked her as I helped her across to the hatch.

"I'm fine honey. Don't worry bout little old me." She ran her hand over my face. "Dean Winchester! Come up here!" she shouted.

I could here him mutter under his breath as he made his way up the stairs and he removed the hatch.

"I told you!" he scolded me. "Sam's getting the blame for this!" he helped Missouri down the ladder and I followed her.

"Shut up! I wasn't hurt at all." I sulked back at him as I followed him back to the kitchen where I was met with total destruction. "Jesus. Jenny is going to love us."

"Are you sure this is over?" Sam asked Missouri.

"I'm sure." She looked around the room and then back to him "Why? Why do you ask?"  
"Nah, never mind. It's nothing, I guess." He shrugged.

"Nothings never this easy." I muttered and he nodded.

"Hello? We're home." A voice ran out in the room. "What happened?" her eyes widened.  
"Hi, sorry. We'll pay for all of this." Sam smiled.

"Don't you worry. Dean's gonna clean up this mess. Well, what are you waiting for, boy? Get the mop." She instructed him and he looked in shock before leaving the room "And don't cuss at me."

I smiled a little and began to help him out before we left.

Sam, however, was not content with the way things had ended and in the middle of the night he dragged Dean and I back to the house, so here we were, waiting impatiently for any sign of something going wrong.

"Alright so tell me again what are we still doing here?" Dean muttered annoyed.  
"I don't know. I just…. I still have a bad feeling." Sam shrugged and I nodded,

"Me too. When was a job ever finished from the first shot?"

"Why? Missouri did her whole Zelda Rubinstein thing. The house should be clean. This should be over." He complained.

"Yeah. Well probably. But I just wanna make sure, that's all."

"Yeah well, problem is, I could be sleeping in a bed right now." He sank back into his chair and I made myself comfortable in the back.

"Dean. Dean!" Sam shouted and hit him. I sprang up and noticed Jenny in the window, screaming for help.

"Shit!" I muttered before following the boys in a hurry out of the car and into the house. We all darted up the stairs, faster than I thought possible,

"You grab the kids. I'll get Jenny." He barked out our orders and I ran to the little boys room. He sat screaming in his crib and I scooped him out.

"Come on sweetie!" I tried to soothe him as I ran out of the room and to Sam in Sari's room. There was the thing that I felt did not want me in there. It was a figure on fire and I understood all to soon that it was someone and not something.

"Come here. Come here. Don't look. Don't look." He coaxed her out of the room and we ran for it down the stairs. I felt something pull at my legs and I handed Sari her brother as I looked at Sam. "All right, Sari, take your brother outside as fast as you can. And don't look back."

She did, look back as we were pulled down and back into the house toward the kitchen. I could feel my palms bleed as I tried to hold onto the wood flooring. Sam was thrown around the room, hit off the walls as I watched, pinned against the wall. Eventually he was forced to join me and we stood petrified.

"Sam! Mary!" Dean shouted before he found us. The figure of fire appeared again to us and I swallowed hard. .

"Sam." Dean pointed his gun at it.

"No! Don't! Don't!" he held his hand fast on the piston.  
"What? Why?" he looked at us confused as I nodded in agreement.

"Because I know who it is. I can see her now." Sam's eyes welled up and I looked at the floor, unable and unworthy to meet her gaze.

"Mom?" Dean asked and she nodded.

"Dean." She stroked his face and then turned to her baby. "Sam. I'm sorry."

"For what?" he choked on his tears as she held his face with her lingering touch before she turned away.

"You get out of my house. And let go of my son." She shouted before her body once more turned to flame and disappeared completely.

"Mom?" Dean was lost, looking for her still and I shook my head.

"Now it's over." Sam muttered.

The next morning we went to say our goodbyes to Jenny and her kids. I smiled as she handed dean the tin of photographs.

"Thanks for these." He smiled at her.

"Don't thank me, They're yours." She smiled at me. "Thanks Mary." She hugged me tightly. "Your mom should be proud."

"Yeah, will you call and tell her that." I smiled.

"I think she knows." She left us.

"She's right you know." Dean smirked as he shut the Impala.

"Hmm, about what?" I looked in a daze, biting my thumb nail as my bandaged hands throbbed a little.

"You're mom is proud of you. I know I am." He hugged me around the shoulders. "Are you sure you don't need a ride back to Chicago?"

"No, I'm fine. Mom will be on her way down for me. I called her this morning. She's gonna kill you anyway." I teased. "She wouldn't believe it was Sam's fault."

He smirked a little. "Goody two shoed Sammy."

"The little geek." I finished off his sentence, mirroring his smirk, as if we were kids again.

"Sam, you ready?" he shouted over and Sam came to the car.

"See you later Mary!" he hugged me "Happy birthday by the way." He handed me a box. "It's something Jenny found in the basement. I think it was moms."

"Thanks Sammy." I smiled and left them, returning to Missouri's side as we waved them off.

"Don't you boys be strangers." She shouted.

"We won't." Dean winked back at us.

" See you around."

We walked back to Missouri's house, it was a nice enough day. She chatted with me for a little while, just asking about school and Danny. How my mom was? How were my grades? I answered her with detailed descriptions and she smiled at every answer, like the grandmother I had never had.

"|That boy. I mean, he has such powerful abilities." Missouri stated as we got in and I looked at her confused. "Why he couldn't sense his own father, I have no idea." She turned to the living room and I followed her. Uncle John sitting on the sofa, feeling sorry for himself as per usual.

"Mary's spirit? Do you really think she saved the boys and this one?" he nodded at me.  
"I do. John Winchester, I could just slap you. Why don't you go talk to your children?" she scolded him meaningfully as I stood just glaring at him.

"I want to. You have no idea how much I wanna see them. But I can't. Not yet. Not until I know the truth." He played with his wedding band. I sighed and cracked, making my way to sit next to him. I placed my head on his shoulder before he held me against him.

"You're mom's forgiving you." He smiled. "But your hands. She'll kill the boys."

I laughed "I know she will." Missouri left us and my tears began to roll.

"What is it?" he asked me before kissing my head.

"It's just," I took in a deep breath "I had the feeling Mary didn't want me there, Like I had done something to offend her." I shrugged.

"Come on. How could you?" his answer was too quick and I left the subject in silence.


	14. Shadow

**A/N- Yeah, I know am kinda rubbish at keeping up with fanfics, but it's been so long since I saw this episode. It's one of my faves though. I changed Mary's last name after watching one of the newer episodes in season 4, when you find out John and Mary's past. I thought I would set up the rising sexual tension in this fic, just so you get a taste of what's going on and how Dean will react (I think you can guess!) the good news is, I've finished Devils Trap and Everybody loves a Clown, so I know where I'm going with this. Hopefully you caught on that all is not as it seems with Ruth either…leave you to go figure. Love you all lots and thanks for the support! Stephanie (your avid Supernatural and Twilight fic writer!) **

* * *

My mom sitting on the edge of my bed, shaking my shoulder woke me up; I buried my head in the pillow. "What? Its only 5am Mom!" I complained to her.

"I know sweetie!" she stroked my hair back and I registered something was wrong. I immediately sat up and paid attention.

"What is it?" I asked her "Mom?"

"Danny is downstairs for you." She half smiled.

"Why? He's okay isn't he?" I jumped out of my bed and pulled a pair of pajama bottoms on and my dressing gown. I ran to the mirror and pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail.

"He's fine honey. He just has some news…"

I ran out of the room before she could finish her sentence. I darted down the stairs and had to regain my balance as I nearly fell at the bottom step. I quickly walked into the lounge where he sat. His head in his hands.

"Danny? What is it?" I stood in the doorway, unable to do anything.

He ran his hands over his face and looked at me. "Come here." He held out his hands and I went to him. Letting his headrest on my tummy as I ran my hands through his messy blonde hair.

"It's not your mom or dad?" I asked him as I knelt in front of him.

He shook his head "No, not at all." He couldn't meet my gaze.

"Danny please! What is it? Is it Uncle Bobby? He hasn't been hurt or anything."

"No. Its…." He ran his hands through my hair. "Meredith. She was found dead in her apartment the other day."

I couldn't register it. Meredith had been one of my best friends since I was little. She was a couple of years older than me, so she'd finished high school and was paying her way through college by working in the bar. I let the tears run. "Oh my God!" I whispered in shock as Danny pulled me on his lap.

"Come on baby! I'm here for you!" he kissed my head and played with the ends of my ponytail.

"This is the second death now Danny! Mom's banker, the nice guy, Ben Swardstom, he died last month."

"I know!" he held me closer. "Nothings gonna harm you! I promise!" he sighed heavily as he picked me up and took me upstairs.

"My mom will kill you if she catches you in my room!" I scolded him.

"She won't she said I could stay with you. But she'd be checking the bed in the morning!" he smirked in the darkness.

"You're not funny!" I pouted as placed me on the bed and lay next to me and I snuggled into him. "I can't believe Meredith's gone." I muttered.

"Neither can I." He sighed and I felt him move under me.

I rolled over and looked at his face, which was stuck focus on the ceiling. "Thank you for telling me." I crawled up to him.

"Oh no! You're mom has like the hearing of a bat. You're getting nowhere near me Miss Campbell!"

Still, he made no attempt to move as I kissed his neck. "You can't resist me Mr. Singer!" I teased him with whispers in his ear.

"Okay that's it!" he rolled me under him and I giggled away. "You've had it!" his gaze became more focused on mine and I felt my heart go mad in my chest. He ran his lips over my collarbone, causing me to gasp at him. "See how teasing that is!"

"Ah- ha!" I smiled away to myself. "It's meant to be!"


	15. Chapter 15

Nothing happened that night in my bed, I hadn't planned it to, neither had Danny so, it wasn't going to happen at all. He wanted my first time to be special, for the two of us. I loved him for that, more than words could describe.

He drove me to school the next day, in my Catholic uniform. My blue blazer, white shirt and checked skirt.

"Can I not ditch?" I asked Danny hopefully as I looked out over the gates.

He followed my direction to the pretty blonde girls, who were surrounded by the boys from the school opposite. "Mary, you're prettier than all of those girls put together! You've got better brains as well!" he lent over and placed his head on my shoulder. I snuggled my head next to his, letting him kiss my cheek.

"If you say so!" I smiled at him "Are you picking me up?" I pouted.

"Four thirty, as I promised!" he grinned and I let him kiss me, just until the bell went to draw the hoards of school kids in.

I was sure it was mom's reckoning that because I was a hunter in the making, I was atoning for my sins by attending this place. It was an all girls school, in which I was low on the popularity system, I was the freak who read to much for her pretty head to handle. The teachers loved me, but the students didn't. I had one friend in the world in this place, Alison, a girl nearly my height with pixie short red hair. I usually called her firefly, cause that's what she reminded me of. I smiled and took my seat behind the desk next to her.

"Hey Mare! How's the hottie this morning?" she enthused.

"_Danny_ is good." I beamed.

"Oh, tell all!" she could see the look on my face wasn't the ordinary frustrated one when I talked about him.

"Later Fly, I think Mrs. Edward's would have a fit." I nodded toward the front.

"Fine, but I want all the graphic details!" she giggled.

I rolled my eyes, trust her to come up with the worst possible situation for her best friend to land in. Anyway, literature dragged as usual as did math and Italian. Lunch came and I made my way out to the courtyard, where I sat in the sun and eat our lunch. I started by playing with a red apple in my hands.

"Hey!" Alison poked my sides and I jumped a little. "Right, spill it Campbell! What happened?"

"Nothing like you're thinking!" I grinned. "He just…stayed in my bed with me…we didn't…do it." I blushed a little at the thought.

"I bet you wanted to though!" she teased and I gave her the look of death. "What? You know I'm right!"

"Thanks Fly! Make me out to be the horny teen that I'm not!" I muttered annoyed with her.

"What's wrong?" she looked at me concerned, usually I played along with her games.

"One of my friends, Meredith, was found dead the night before last in her apartment." I let a tear roll.

"God, Mary!" she put an arm around my shoulder. "I heard about it, but I didn't know you knew her!"

"Nothing I can do about it now." I shrugged. "They're taking what's left of her home to be buried."

"Is it, anything, you know…Uncle John…" she looked at me intently.

"No." I shook my head "least I don't think it is. He would have been here if it was." I felt the phone vibrate in my pocket and I took it out. "Its my mom." I took it and got up off the bench. "Mom. You know I'm at school."

"I know honey. I have to go out of town for a while. So you're going to have to stay in the halls at school. I passed it with the Principal. You're in Alison's room with her."

"Mom! I can look after myself at home! You know that!" I was getting annoyed with her now.

"I know that honey! But I can't bring myself to leave you alone at the moment. After what happened to Meredith, I can't risk losing you! Don't ask me to!"

"Fine. I'll get my stuff when Danny brings me home." I muttered.

"No need, Danny has his orders." She smiled down the phone. "I'm sorry baby, but I have to leave now."

"Okay, I love you mom." I smiled and put the phone down. "Bitch!" I whispered as I made my way back to the bench.

"Who is?" Fly asked.

"My Mom. She's going out of town for a while, so you're stuck with me in halls." I grinned.

"Yeah!" she smiled in glee. "Come on, it will be fun! You get pretty much free reign in there. Better than at home."

"Okay, I'll try and look on the bright side of things." I shrugged and ate my apple.

We had gym for the next two hours. Something I was good at, better than most of the school at. It was track, so I was sprinting around in no time, far ahead of the others, finishing first. Pretty happy with myself as I hit the showers and cleaned up. Letting my hair fall into its natural loose curls. I sat in the locker room, thinking to myself wanting to go home desperately. I needed Danny over the next few weeks and now I was going to have to live without him.

He brought my things around in the Caddy for me and I smiled as he pulled up, practically running toward him. "Hey!" he smiled as I flung myself into his arms. "What's wrong? You know I'll still see you!"

"Not as much as I wanted though." I pulled away and played with his shirt button, not daring to look at him. He knew then what I meant.

"Mary Ellen!" he smiled and teased my face to his "I promise, soon!" he kissed me gently.

"When? When my mom gets back? I don't think I can wait that long." I smiled back.

"You're only seventeen! I don't want to corrupt you yet!" he looked concerned "When you're eighteen."

"That's 6 months away Danny!" I moaned but stopped when people walked past us.

"Come on. I'll help you pack up you're stuff." He smiled.

"I thought my mom had done it." I shrugged; annoyed I wasn't getting my own way with him for a change.

"Yeah, but what she's packed for you. You think you were going to a convent." He laughed and I got in the car with him.

We got back to my house pretty quickly and made our way to my bedroom. I pulled out most of my clothes and put them in a duffle bag, as well as other necessities that I was still embarrassed to have on show in front of Danny. He pulled me to him when I'd finished.

"Do you really want this?" he asked me as he kissed my neck. "You can have it if you're really sure."

I felt my body stiffen up and he knew I wasn't ready for the whole nine yards, to put it politely.

"See. Stop trying to force yourself, I'm always going to be here waiting for you." He smiled at me and pulled away to face me, leaning in to kiss me, I would let him have that much for now. "I'll take you out tonight!" he grinned as he pinned me on the bed and I laughed.

Danny helped me unpack, Fly had helpfully left the room for us to have some alone time, which I would have to thank her for immensely later on.

Danny did take me out that night, only to the bar where Meredith worked. I scowled at him as he took me into the bar.

"Why?" I muttered under my breath.

"Because, you need to let go, well and truly. I hate seeing you hurting like this!" he kissed me on the mouth and I nodded. "Okay?"  
I couldn't fight my smile "Okay!" I smiled and took his hand. He sat us behind a table and went for drinks.

I played with my hands, waiting for him to come back, hating being left on my own in a room full of dirty old men. Danny came back and handed me a coke and I sniffed it dubiously.

"What? Its just a coke Mary! Nothing else!" he chuckled.

"Okay, dad!" I teased.

"Mary Campbell?" a voice asked and I looked over to the bar, the barmaid made her way over.

"Hey Becca!" I let her hug me. "How are you?"

"Okay, holding up, just about." She sniffed "You?"

"I'm good. This is my boyfriend, Danny Singer." I nodded in his direction.

"You're dad owns the car-lot?" she smiled and he nodded.

"Sure does. I'm just going to the bathroom. Look after her for me." He left pretty stealthily.

"So…he must be loaded." Becca looked him up and down.

"Yeah, suppose," I peeled the label on the coke bottle "so, working this place?"

"Sure. Were pretty shirt handed now though." She shrugged.

"Have you not found anyone yet?"

"Nah, Nobody wants the job anymore."

"Can't blame them, considering." I took a drink.

"Hey, could you…"

"Oh no! My mom would kill me!"

"Please Mary! You know I wouldn't ask unless I was pretty much desperate!" she begged.

"Okay! Just to fill in!"

"Good! You're a lifesaver! See you tomorrow? Round 8-30!" she left me, dumbstruck, having to explain the situation to Danny on my own.


	16. Chapter 16

I started my shift the next night, on time. Wearing a pair of jeans and a black Cami with lace around he hems. I hadn't told Danny what I was doing, he never needed to know. I told Fly to inform him I was bust in the library or at track. So here I was , working, like a normal person, in a bar, far from the life Mom or Uncle John wanted for me. It was only tempory though. I got used to the wolf whistling and heckling after a while, I just concentrated on collecting glasses and serving bear. At the middle of it, I had begun to enjoy myself more than I though possible. I bounced behind the bar and got myself a bottle of coke.

"Nice to see you smiling Mary!" Becca grinned as she finished serving a customer.

"Thanks!" I smiled back.

"The custumors like you!" she grinned and I shivered "You'll get used to it. Those self defence classes, which you came top in, were there for a…." she stopped.

"What? What is it?" I looked at her confused, she was distracted so I waved my hand across the front of her face "Becca! Is anybody there? Dude, come on!"

"Sorry! Just look at that though!" she was checking someone out.

"Who?" I turned and my heart sank "Shot!" I muttered. "I'm just off to the back, we need more ice!" I ran out of site into the back of the bar. Of all the places and times for the Whinchester boys to turn up, they do it now. I waited for a while, when I could hear Dean flirting with Becca, and I heard her take the bait, all to easily.

"Really? You were a gymnast for five years?" he sounded impressed and I rolled my eyes, moving out to collect more glasses and keep my head down. He would notice me though, I knew it, so I would have to get it over with soon enough.

"Thanks," he finished and as he walked toward Sam, so did I "Talked to the bartender."

"You get anything?" he looked up from his laptop.

"Apart from her phone number, probably not, no." I smiled at Dean.

"Dude. I 'm a professional. I'm offended that you would think that." He looked hurt then grinned. I nodded and laughed at him "All righty."

"You mind doing a little bit of thinking with your upstairs brain, Dean." Sam joked.

"That, and she's the whore of the windy city. Used to go to my school, until they kicked her out." I informed him.

"Huh?" he looked back, shrugged and nodded. Before registering who I was and shook his head "What the hell are you doing here anyway?"

"Well, I do live here, In Chicago." I shrugged "You're on my turf now Kansas."

"You work here?" Sam looked at me, like Uncle John would have, a mixture of annoyance, anger and disappointment on his face.

"Sure do Toto, I got a job waiting tables."

"Meredith worked here. She waited tables. Everyone here is her friend. Everybody say's she's normal. She didn't do or say anything weird before she died. So…"

I rolled my eyes. "My God… you guys have boring lives. Do you ever have fun?" Dean scowled at me and then looked back at Sam

"What about that symbol, did you find anything?"

"Nothing. It wasn't in Dad's journal or any of the usual books. So I'll just have to dig a little deeper, I guess."

"Give it here." I took the paper and wrote it on my hand, I had to help somehow.

"Well, there was a first victim right, before Meredith?"

"Right, yeah. His name was err… His name was Ben Swardstrom. Last month he was found mutilated in his town house. Same deal, the door was locked, the alarm was on."

"I remember that." I muttered under my breath, I k new the next question, not that I would answer it at all.

"Is there any connection between them?"

"Nothing I can tell. I mean, not yet at least. Ben was a banker, Meredith was a waitress. They never met, never knew anyone in common. They were practically from different worlds."

"So to recap the only successful intel we've scored so far is the bartender's phone number." But Sam wasn't listening, he was looking somewhere across the bar floor "What? Sam?"

He walked on and left us sitting on our own.

"Where the hell is he going?" I looked intrigued.

"I don't know," Dean shrugged before turning to me "But your going home, your mom will kill me if she knows I let you work this joint." He finished his beer.

"I'm seventeen Dean. Don't patronize me, I have a right to do what I want, I don't need you're permission either!" I stood my ground pretty well in my head, but I was sure I sounded like a whiny teenager too used to getting her own way to him.

"A-ha, whatever, I'm still taking you back home."

"Whatever, right now, Sammy looks like he's going to get laid tonight." I grinned and Dean just rolled his eyes at me. "What, you're allowed to used the sex talk and I'm not?"

He got up and I followed him to Sam.

"I'm just in town visiting friends." He smiled at her as we made our way over.

"Where are they?" she smiled sweetly back. Meg was pretty, she looked like a pixie or something. I'd been reading Twilight, so, I was pretty sure she was Alice Cullen on first glance. Yet, Alice wasn't as annoying as this girl was.

"Well, they're not here right now... " he ruffled his hair, a sure sign he was embarrassed.

"Sammy! Aren't you going to introduce us?" I put my arm around his waist and looked from him to her.

"Oh, yeah. This is my cousin Mary Ellen Campbell." He grinned.

"Hey." Meg held out her hand, but the look in her eye, I thought she might want to rip out my throat and I swallowed hard and held out my hand and took hers.

"Hi." I forced out a reply back and took my hand from hers.

"But what about you Meg? I thought you were going to California?" Sam interrogated her.

"Oh, I did. I came, I saw, I conquered. Oh, and I met what's-his-name, something Michael Murray, at a bar."

"Who?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter. Anyway, the whole scene got old, so I'm living here for a while now."

"You're from Chicago?" he asked.

"No. Massachusetts. Andover. Gosh, Sam, what are the odds we'd run into each other?"

"Yeah, I know. I thought I'd never see you again."

"Well, I'm glad you were wrong."

"I'll bet." I smiled wickedly.

"Dude, cover your mouth." Meg scolded Dean, who for the past few sentences had coughed all the way through the conversation.

"Yeah, I'm sorry Meg. This is…this is my brother. Dean."

"This is Dean?" she pointed at him with a smile.

"Yeah." Sam grinned with guilt written on his face.

"So you've heard of me?" Dean was proud of himself, probably trying to think of a way to get Meg into the sack.

"Oh, yeah. I've heard of you. Nice, the way you treat your brother like luggage." She viciously spat.

Dean stood in shock and I just looked dumbstruck "Ouch, that's gotta hurt." I muttered.

"Sorry?" he looked at her.

"Why don't you let him do what he wants to do. Stop dragging him over Gods green earth."

"Meg. Its all right." Sam assured her and Dean let out a whistle.

"Okay. Awkward. I'm gonna get a drink now." He nodded before grabbing me by the elbow and dragging me with him, I didn't even fight it, I just followed him.

"Nice, The way he talks about you behind your back." I added, annoyed he was taking his anger out on me.

He just rolled his eyes and made his way to the door "I'm taking you back home, come on."

"You can't take me home. Mom's away. That and I'll lose my job Dean."

"To be honest Mary, I don't care about you're job! You're under age to be serving alcohol and, oh yeah, I'll lose my neck if your Mom or my Dad finds out about this. Now come on."

"Let me grab my coat Dean." I muttered and he nodded before hugging me and letting me go.

He was still then when I returned, waiting to usher me to the Impala and back to the imprisonment of the boarding school.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N- Sorry I'm so bad at updating! I've had no internet access for so long! it has literally nearly killed me! But I got seasons 1-3 of supernatural for christmas so i will be able to work on fanifc alot more! Anyway, another dose of Mary Campbell for you to take in! Hope you like it! To answer you're questions about the 'Daddy' issue, you may be very well waiting a while for it to come clear. **

* * *

"Are you okay Dean?" I asked him.

"I'm good." He answered shortly.

I let the silence fall over us as he drove me back to the school. "I'm sorry." I muttered to him.

He sighed at me "You have nothing to be sorry for, I just over reacted." He stopped the car "Here you go."

"Thanks Dean." I smiled but sighed when I realized Danny was waiting outside the school for me.

"Whose that guy?" he asked me, noticing my reaction to him.

"Danny Singer." I shrugged "My boyfriend."

"Oh really. Well I think I should intro…"

"No! No way dude! You stay in this car!" I informed him and left him in a hurry.

Danny was in way shape or form in a good mood with me when I approached him. He arms were permanently crossed across his front and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Does it make a difference if I say I'm sorry?" I begged him as I placed my chin on his shoulder.

I could feel him contemplate it in his mind. "Maybe." He grinned. "If…"

"If?" I smiled and wound my way into his arms. "What's the 'if'?"

"You have to stay at mine for a few days." He put his hands on my lower back. "I can't have you away from me at the moment."

I looked at him "Is this really you talking?" I let him kissed me. "Or the hormones?"

"Bit of both I guess! Plus you have vacation timed owed to you by the school."

"I do?" I thought about it "I do!"

"I've packed your things, Fly helped me do it." He ushered me into the car and I got in without a second thought.

"Does my mom know?" I asked him as we drove off into the night. He shifted in his seat, which was never a good sign. "Danny! Seriously, she'll kill you!"

"Not if she doesn't find out." He shrugged as we pulled into the driveway of his apartment.

"The school will have contacted her. You do know that?"

"Yeah. That's why I cut the phone line." He grinned and I shook my head in disbelief. "What?"

"Men." I muttered and helped him unpack my stuff into the house.

"Who was the guy who dropped you off tonight?" he asked me.

"Oh, Dean." I smiled and put things in the drawer.

"Dean…" he looked at me and then recognized the fact "Thee Dean. Dean Winchester. Wow." He was being sarcastic now.

"What?" I rolled my eyes. "What's with the attitude all of a sudden?"

"Nothing. He just has timing that's all." He smiled and then kissed my head before leaving me to unpack. That was one of the best things about him, he never hovered.

I came out an hour later, showered and in my p-j's with the paper in my hand that depictured the symbol.

"Danny?" I called out and he answered.

"Yeah?"

"I'm just using you're laptop a minute." I smiled as he came out of the room.

"Hang on, give me two seconds." He turned on the laptop and I patiently waited.

"What's up? You been looking up porn?" I grinned and kissed his head.

"No, not at all. I just have to think of you." He kissed me sweetly and I took the laptop off him.

"Thank you." I smiled and went to his encyclopedia of demons, which he had transcribed to his own database.

"What you looking for?" he was frying up burgers for me.

"This symbol." I was scanning through the computer and held it up.

"Looks like…type in shadow demon." He shrugged and brought me a burger over.

"Okay." I did as I was told. "Clever shit." I smiled and took a bite out of my burger.

"There." He pointed as I scrolled down. "It's a Davea."

"Why do they always mess with the super bad shits?" I rolled my eyes and dialed Dean from my cell.

"Hey." The gruff voice came over the other end.

"Hey Dean, it's Mary." I smiled "I found out about you're little problem."

"Really." He was thinking up as many sexual references as he could for me.

"Very funny. Seriously, I found out about the symbol and it's not good."

"When is it ever? What's the lowdown?" he took a drink on the other end of the line.

"From what Kaleb told me." I coughed and sat in front of the laptop, Danny plating with my hair. "Its part of a right, used to summon a 'Shadow Demon', known as a Davea."

"Doesn't sound that serious to me."

"Trust me Dean, it is. Whoever is summoning it has serious power or balls of steel. Their pretty nasty if they turn on you. Break the alter, you've had it." I got up off the seat and looked out of the window. "So I'm guessing that's why the alarms didn't go off at all."

He sighed heavily "Thanks Mary."

"Your welcome Dean." I smiled "Please be careful." I went and sat back down next to Danny, I lay back on him so my head was on his chest. I felt his lips in my hair.

"Don't you dare fall asleep." He laughed and I smiled a little.

"I will. Don't worry darling."

And I did exactly what I said I would.

When I woke up in the morning, Danny was still underneath me. He'd obviously moved in the night, because I had a blanket over me.

"You're going to have to let me up." He played with my hair. "If you're wanting breakfast that is."

"Okay." I moaned and got up from the seat.

"I'm working a job today." He avoided eye contact as I moved across to the kitchen. "So…"

"So…" I avoided his gaze as I drank my orange juice.

"If I'm not back by 9pm…pack you're stuff and run. Call Sam and Dean."

"Nothing is going to happen to you though." I put my hands around his waist. "So I'll see you later on."

"Oh will you now?" he grinned as his mouth met mine, not wanting to leave go of me. "Come on missus."

I let him carry me to sit on the sofa. "I'll be back later on darling." He kissed my head.

"You can't leave me on my own right now?" I moaned. "What the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Be careful sweetie. Just watch the television, watch Dvd's, go shopping…."

"On you're credit card?" I smiled and kissed his nose.

"Yes, on my credit card. Amazon it." He smiled.

"Thank you! I love you!" I put my arms around his neck and then teased him for one last kiss until he left me in the apartment.

I watched the clock from six onwards, worried and annoyed that he hadn't called me at all. I waited until seven then eight, eight-fifteen, eight thirty. I got more worried for words and then called him.

I got his answer phone "Danny, you're not there so I'll go to Dean now. If I can find him. I know you packed my bag for me. I love you. Call me when you get this."

I wiped away my tears and shoved my coat on before running out of the door and down the street with my suitcase and holder.

I called Dean's phone and heard the ringtone in an alleyway.

"All right. Come on, We don't have much time. Soon as that flares out, they'll be back." Sam was in panic, all of them covered in blood.

"Sam!" I ran down the alleyway to them. "My God! What happened?" I ran my hands over his face. "Uncle John?" I put my arms around him and he hugged me back. "God look at the state of you!"

"No, wait. Wait. Sam, wait." He shouted at him. "Dad, you can't come with us."

"What? What are you talking about?" Sam was erratic.

"You boys… You're beat to hell." John tried to talk him around.

"We'll be all right." Dean added

"Dean please!" I added begging him.

"Dean, we should stick together. We'll go after this demon together." Sam shouted.

"Sam, listen to me. We almost got Dad killed in there. Don't you understand? They're not gonna stop. They're gonna try again. They're gonna use us to get to him. I mean, Meg was right. Dad's vulnerable when he's with us." He made his point and I knew he was right. "He's stronger without us around."

"Dad. No. After everything. Please, after all the time we've spent looking for you… Please. I gotta be a part of this fight." Sam pleaded as John let me go.

He put his hands on his shoulders "Sammy, this fight is just starting. And we are all gonna have a part to play. For now, you gotta trust me, son. Okay? You gotta let me go. Be careful, boys. Look after Mary please."

"Come on." Dean muttered and threw my bags in the boot before putting me in the back of the car. Speeding out from the alley and away from Chicago for a long time in my life.


	18. Hell House

"You look pleased with yourself." Dean smiled as he made his way to the car, with a burger in his hand. "Who was on the phone?"

"Hmm?" I looked at him and he stared back at me "Oh, just Danny."

"No word from Aunt Ruth then?" Sam asked me concerned.

"No, not yet. I think the Campbell side of the family has disowned me. Which is not good."

"Just means you're stuck with us." Dean grinned and I rolled my eyes

"Come on, I'm tired. I just want to sleep." I climbed in the back of the car and watched the nonexistent scenery out of the window as we drove toward the motel.

Dean booked us in, but would no way allow me to have my own room, so I was annoyed with him. I dumped my things on the camp bed and sulked as Dean went out to get us food on discovering I left mine in the trashcan.

"Mary." Sam smiled at me. "You can have my bed if you wanted."

I smiled back at him tiredly and placed a hand on my neck. "No, its fine. I'm just a spoilt brat, most of the time." I got up and looked out of the window.

"No. Your like I was, according to Dean." He laughed "Use the bathroom first Mary. You're the only girl."

"Thanks Sam. I'll not take long." I quickly used the bathroom and returned in my pajamas and clean. I dried my hair off and did my skin care routine. "What was college like?"

"Why?" he asked taking aback.

"Mom wants me to go. So does Uncle John." I avoided his gaze.

"Makes sense." He smiled and left it as Dean walked though the door.

"Why you on the floor?" he asked me.

"Well, you and Sam have the beds Dean. I'm just the spare part at the moment." I smiled "I like the floor."

"Okay, loser. Food, if you don't eat it. I'll kill you." He warned me and I nodded.

"Okay, dad!"

"And call me dad again, I'll kill you." He warned me and I laughed a little.

I was glad I fell asleep on a full stomach and I woke up early in the morning. Six was early enough for me.

"So where we off to?" I asked them.

"Music store. Craig Thurston works there." Dean started packing his rucksack.

"Should I know who that is?" I asked him wide eyed shaking my head.

"He started up the story." Sam informed me reassuringly. "So, we need you're female charms to help us."

"Great, your pimping out you're seventeen old cousin." I teased.

"Hey, you have a boyfriend!" Dean warned me.

"I know." I smiled.

"Weird." He stated.

"What is?" Sam asked him.

He answered the phone, "Yeah, I do own an '67 Impala. What's it to you?"

I held in my laughter pretty well as he argued with the guy on the phone.

"Jerk." He slammed his phone down.

"What is it?" I asked him.

"Someone…nothing. Come on, lets get a start on this weird ass job." He stormed to the car leaving Sam none the wiser in me in kinks.

We drove to the music store and I followed them out of the car and into the store.

"Hey, no flirting." Dean told me "None of that feminine shit. It only gets us in trouble."

"Fine!" I scowled at him. My plan was to do what he had told me not to. I stood looking at the AC/DC records, looking interested and soon enough I caught his eye. He made his way over and I smiled at him.

"Fellas. Can I help you with anything?" he looked shocked as Sam and Dean appeared next to me.

"Yeah, are you Craig Thurston?" Sam asked him with a warning in his voice so I could pick it up.  
"I am." He was still smiling at me.

"Ah well, were reporters with The Dallas Morning News. I'm Dean, this is Sam…" I looked at him and he looked at me "and Mary."

"No way." He smiled at me still and Dean coughed "Yeah, I'm a writer too. I write for my school's lit magazine."

"Ahh, well good for you, Morrissey." He was being sarcastic now.

"Um, we're doing an article on local hauntings." Sam added quickly.

"And rumor has it you might know about one." I grinned at him.

"You mean the Hell House?"

"That's the one." Dean added.

"I didn't think there was anything to the story."

"Why don't you tell us the story." Sam asked him.

"Sure. I'd love to hear it. I love a good ghost story."

Craig coughed and managed to start up again "Well, supposedly, back in the '30s…this farmer, named Mordechai Murdock he used to live in the house with his six daughters. It was during the Depression, his crops were falling…he didn't have enough money to even feed his children. So I guess that's when he went off the deep end."

"How?" Sam asked.

"Well, he figured it was best if his girls died quick…rather than starve to death. So he attacked them. And they screamed. Begged for him to stop…but he just strung them up, one after another. And then when it was all finished, he turned around and hung himself. Now they say that his spirit is trapped in the house forever… stringing up any other girl that goes inside."

"And where did you hear all this?" Dean pressed on.

"My cousin Dana told me. I don't know where she heard it from. You gotta realize, I didn't believe this for a second."

"But now you do." Sam was trying to clear it up.

"I don't know what the hell to think, man. You guys, I'll tell you exactly what I told the police, okay? That girl was real, and she was dead. This was not a prank. I swear to God, I don't wanna go anywhere near that house ever again, okay?"

"Woss." I muttered under my breath.

"Thanks." Dean smiled and got hold of my arm and dragged me out of the store. "What was that?"

"What? Oh I'm sorry. Because I'm a girl and I have no say in this case?" I folded my arms.

"Yes…no!" he covered his back.

"Your far to much like Uncle John! If I needed a lecture, I would be calling him right now!"

"Yeah well, I'm hear to do it for him!"

"Dean, just cool down man. You're scaring her!"

"No, he's not!" I shouted at him even though I was shaking as his phone answered. "Shouldn't you get that!"

He scowled at me and I stormed off with Sam following me.

"Where are you going?"

"Home! I'll get a greyhound or something!" I ran my hands through my hair. "Sam. I wanna go home."

"We'll take you back, soon, I promise!" he hugged me and kissed my hair. "Lets just get this case over. You don't have to do anything, but I know you want to. You're not a spare part."

"Thanks Sam." I smiled and walked back with him. We got in the car silently and drove to the Merdock house.


	19. Chapter 19

"Can't say I blame the kid." He looked at the house.

"Yeah, so much for curb appeal." He moaned and I nodded.

"I think it's a load of bull to be honest. But it beats sitting in the motel cheesy ranch." I got out of the car with them and made out way to the house.

"You got something?" Sam asked as Dean used the EMF.

"Yeah, but the EMF'S no good."

"Why?"

"I think the things still got a little juice in it. It's screwing with all the readings." He moaned.

"Yeah, that would do it."

"Yeah. Come on, let's go." He added and I went to follow and he stopped me "Not you."

"Why?" I looked stunned at him.

"Girl, ghost likes the girls." He added his argument.

"Bait." I shot back at him.

"She's right." Sam told him arguing with me.

"See, geek says I can go" I folded my arms in defiance.

He handed me the gun "Move it."

I smiled in triumph and made my way in. I coughed as the dust fell on me. "Oh my good God!"

Dean gave out a falling whistle "Looks like old man Murdock was a bit of a tagger during his time."

Sam was taking pictures on his phone "And after his time too. The reverse cross has been used by Satanists for centuries…but this Sigil of Sulfur didn't show up in San Francisco until the '60's. Huh."

"Maybe he had a Tardis." I shrugged and looked at them.

"That's exactly why you never get laid." Dean added.

I rolled my eyes at him "Dean, please."

Dean shrugged it off and looked at one above the fireplace "Hey, what about this one? You seen this one before?"

"No" Sam shrugged..

"I have. Somewhere." Dean added.

"So have I." I followed his gaze and thought about it.

"Seems pretty fresh too." Sam ran his fingers through the red paint.

"I don't know, Sam. I mean, I hate to agree with authority figures of any kind…but the cops might be right about this one." Dean shrugged.

"Yeah, maybe."

I heard something in the other room "What the hell is that?" I whispered and then followed Deans signals to the room. I had the gun bared as he opened the door and I let out a shout as the torch went into my eyes.

"Come on dude!" I was highly miffed off.

"Cut. Just a couple of humans." The one in glasses moaned.

"What are you guys doing here?" a guy with black hair and a chubby face asked us.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Dean asked back.

"A-ha, we belong here. We're professionals." Glasses answered.

"Professional what?" Dean continued.

"Asses by the look of things." I scowled at them. "I so wanted to shoot something. Does rocksalt still hurt humans? I mean, not enough to kill them, but maim them?"

"Paranormal investigators. There you go. Take a look at that, boys and hottie."

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me." Dean smiled.

"Ed Zeddmore and Harry Spangler." Sam looked at them.

"Yep." Glasses answered.

"Should I know who these are?" I asked Sam.

". You guys run that website?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, yeah, yeah. We're huge fans." Dean added sarcastically.

"Yeah, and we know who you guys are too." Ed answered us and I looked at him in shock and looked at Sam who caught my gaze.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Amateurs. Looking for ghosts and cheap thrills, Yeah. So if you guys don't mind…we're trying to conduct a serious scientific investigation here." Harry stated at us.

"Mm-hm." Ed added.

"Yeah? What do you got so far?" Dean asked.

"Harry, why don't you tell them about EMF?"

"Well…"

"EMF?" Sam and I tried to hide our current amusement.

"Electromagnetic field."

"Mm-hm."

"Spectral entities can cause energy fluctuatons…that can be read with and EMF detector. ..like this bad boy right here."

"Whoa. Whoa. That's 2.8 MG."

"Two point eight."

"Must be they're lack of braincells rubbing together." I muttered.

"It's hot in here."

"Wow." Sam smiled.

"Huh. So have you guys ever really seen a ghost before, or…?" Dean kept his face straight.

"Once. We were….we were investigating this old house…and we saw a vase fall right off the table.

"By itself."

"We didn't actually see it…but we heard it, and something like that…it changes you."

"Yeah. I think I get the picture. We should go, let them get back to work." Dean nodded.

"Yeah, you should." Ed grinned.

"Sam, Mary."

"But. I'm having fun." I sarcastically added.

"Yeah, work." He laughed on as we left the building. "I'm sorry. That pot we smoked gave me the giggles."


	20. Chapter 20

"So what now?" I asked Dean. "We hitting the Library?"

"Looks like it." Sam shrugged. "Just what I wanted to do right now."

"Okay, Dean, what you up to?" I looked at him. "Fancy hitting somewhere decent to eat?"

"Yeah, sure, why not." He smiled and we drove to the off to the nice apple-pie café.

"I'm so hungry now." I jumped out of the car and followed Dean to the seat next to the window. I picked up a menu and read through it. "What do you want? It's on me."

"Lets see. It's the first time a girl has offered to pay for food." He grinned "Burger, cheese burger."

"That it?" I raised an eyebrow.

He laughed, "Yeah, and all the sides."

"Apart from the salad." I bit my lip and concentrated on the menu. "Lasange sounds good, with French fries." I looked at him and he took the hint.

"Okay. I'll go order then." He moved and went to the counter and returned. "Coke."

"Thanks Dean. Sorry I'm being a bitch." I shrugged.

"Hey, I'll not mess with you. You're far too much like Aunt Ruth when you get going, and it's scary."

"I suppose it is. Just like Sam is like Uncle John." I smiled "You're just the odd one out." I grinned.

"I know. I'm the nice one. Oh look, food!" he smiled and took it off the waitress.

"Thank you." I smiled and ate heartily and looked at my phone.

"He only called last night." He rolled his eyes.

"I know. But I need him to call." I dipped a fry in tomato sauce.

"You love him?" Dean questioned me.

I sat taken aback. I had never thought about it, but I realized at that moment, it was true. "I suppose."

"Just watch yourself Mary." He warned.

"Please not the talk!" I couldn't help but laugh. "You're in no danger of being an Uncle."

"Hey, I'd be a good Uncle! Cool Uncle Dean with the cool car and music."

"Do shut up Dean!" I smiled and we finished are food for Sam picking us up. We stood talking next to the car. Sam gave me a funny look and I knew he was planning something.

"Hey."

"Hey, what do you got?" Dean asked him.

"Well, I couldn't find a Mordechai…but I did turn up a Martin Murdock who lived in that house in the '30's. He did have children, but only two of them, both boys. And there's no record he ever killed anyone."

"Huh"

"There blows that theory then." I played with the scar on my hand.

"What about you?" Sam asked us.

"Well those kids didn't give a clear description of that dead girl. I did hit up the police station. No matching missing persons. It's like she never existed. Dude, come on man. We did our digging. This one's a bust. All right, for all we know, those hellhound boys made up the whole thing."

"Yeah, all right." Sam rubbed his head.

"I say we find ourselves a bar…and some beers and leave the legend to the locals." Dean got in the car and Sam gestured for me to stop. I found out why as Salsa music blasted from the cars stereo. "What the…That's all you got?" We got in the car both laughing. "It's weak. That is bush league."

"Good for you Sam." I smiled "So I'll go to sleep tonight and then back to Chicago in the morning!"

That was my plan, but then things kicked off the next morning as we drove past the Hell House.

"Pull in Dean." I ordered him and did.

We made our way to the police officers, letting Sam do the talking "What happened?"

"A couple of cops say that poor girl hung herself in the house."

"Suicide?" Sam asked on.

"Yeah. And she was a straight A student with a full ride to UT too. It just don't make sense."

We walked and made our way back to the car "What do you think?"

"I think maybe we missed something." Dean answered.

"So do I." I sighed.

That night we returned to the house, Dean had pleaded his usual case to leave me in the motel, but Sam talked him out of it. My heart sank to my stomach as we saw the cruisers.

"This puts a spanner in the works." I moaned as we hid in the brush.

"I guess the cops don't want any more kids screwing around in there." Sam added.

"Yeah, but we still gotta get in there." Dean smiled.

"Hey, look, its dumb and dumber." I pointed out.

"I don't believe it. I got an idea." He grinned and I knew exactly what it was. "Who you gonna call?"

"Hey, you." The police officer shouted.

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"Freeze."

"Oh run. Come on."

"Get back here. Stop."

"Come on, don't leave me here." Ed called after him.

"Hey."

I couldn't help but laugh at them. "Okay, I'm going back to bed. I'll pick you up later on."

"You wish you were driving the car." Dean warned.

"I own my own Chevy at home. I won't kill her. Do you want me to walk back?"

"Fine!" He handed me the keys.

I was happy to have the place to myself that night, watching what I wanted on the television, which meant a lot of cheesy Buffy type programmes, in which, they always won and hardly nobody ever died. I got the bathroom to myself, so I used most of the hot water and had a major beauty regime overhaul, out of the prying eyes of Dean who would only laugh at me and tell me how I didn't need it. He, however, had never seen me a week without a moisturizer. I was sitting in my pajamas on the bed, my bed socks and cardigan on and I was pulling away at my eyebrows. I heard my phone go on the bed and I picked it up without a second thought.

"Hello?" I muttered.

"Hey baby."

"Danny!" I exclaimed, I knew his voice anywhere. "Where they hell are you?"

"On the way to Texas. I heard you were there with Dean and Sam."

"How?" I muttered at him.

I heard him laugh "Don't worry, Bobby told me darling. God I've missed you!"

"So have I. How long until you get here?"

"Another couple of days at the most. I'm coming to bring you home, you're mom blames me, naturally."

"I'm a mummy's girl."

"And an Uncle John's girl. He gave me a lecture through Bobby."

"Sorry. I'm so sorry." I played with my hair. "Were in a motel called, well, it's a cowboy motel. Hard to miss. It's cheese on a stick."

"See you soon. I love you sweetie."

"I love you too." I smiled and put the phone down.

I fell asleep on top of the bed, the TV still on. When I woke up, someone had put me under the covers and made sure I was warm. I stretched out to hear Dean shouting down the phone at someone.

"Dude, seriously, I hear someone ask me to buy the Impala one more time, I'll start throwing punches!"

I sat up and looked at him pretending to be confused. "Sell Kaz? Who would do such a thing?" I got up and went to the bathroom and got ready.

"What do you want for breakfast?" I asked them, I was practically bouncing up and down at the thought of Danny coming to get me.

"Someone is in a good mood." Sam smiled at me.

"Danny is coming down." I grinned at him and avoided Dean's gaze.

"I'll come with you."

"Thanks Sam!" I let him follow me to the diner on the motel lot. I got a coffee for each of us and a few donuts, a lot of sugar to keep us going.

When we got back Dean was sitting on the bed, a notepad and pen in his hand.

"What the hell is this symbol? It's bugging the hell out of me. This whole damn job's bugging me. I thought the legend said that Mordechai only goes after chicks."

"It does." Sam muttered.

"All right. I mean that explains why he went after you. But why me?"

"Don't be mean Dean." I muttered at him and drank some coffee.

"Hilarious, Legend also says he hung himself. But did you see those slit wrists?"

"Yeah."

"What's up with that? And the ax too? I mean ghosts are usually pretty strict, right? Following the same patterns over and over."

"But this mook keeps changing." Dean shrugged.

"He might just want a change." I joked and left it as I got the John look from Dean

"Exactly, I'm telling you, the way the story goes….wait a minute…"

"What?"

"Someone added a new posting to the hellhound site, Listen to this: "They say Mordechai Murdock was really a Satanist…who chopped up his victims with an axe before slitting his own wrists. Now he's trapped in the house for eternity." Where the hell is this going?"

"It's changed on the webpage." I whispered and thought it through in my mind.

"I don't know. But I think I might have figured out where it all started."

We followed Dean out of the room and to the car. He drove us to the record store, at top speed.

"Mary, keep a low profile." He warned me.

"Alright Dad." I rolled my eyes.

"That means no flirting. Call me Dad again, and I will kill you!" he stormed away and we followed again.

"Hey, Craig. Remember us?" Dean asked him.

"Guys, look, I'm really not in the mood to answer any more of your questions okay." Craig answered me.

"Oh, don't worry, don't worry. We're just here to buy an album, that's all. You know, I couldn't figure out what that symbol was. And then I realized, it doesn't mean anything. It's the logo for Blue Oyster Cult. Tell me Craig. You into BOC? Or just scaring the hell out of people? Now why don't you tell us about that house. Without lying through your ass this time."

Craig sighed and turned to look at us. "All right erm. My cousin Dana was on break from tcu. I guess we were just bored, looking for something to do. So I showed her this abandoned dump I found. We thought it would be funny if we made it look like it was haunted. So we painted symbols on the walls. Some from some albums, some from some of Dana's theology textbooks. Then we found out this guy Murdock, used to live there…so we,,, we made up some story to go along with that. So they told people who told other people. And then these two guys put it on their stupid website. Everything just…took on a life of its own. I mean, I thought it was funny at first, but….now that girl's dead, it was just a joke. You know, I mean, none of it was real, We the whole thing up, I swear."

"All right. If none of it was real, how the hell do you explain Mordechai?" I asked him.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N- Sorry I've been so long in updating. I've been so busy with uni stuff all my fun gets pushed out of the way! Anyway. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do writing it! Love Stephanie.**

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When we got back, Sam went in the shower and Dean went back out for some strange reason. So I spent some time watching the TV again, I was getting addicted now. It was dangerous. Anyway, Dean returned as I was sitting on the bed.

"Hey, I'm back." He shouted through to Sam.

"Hey, where were you?"

"Oh, I went out." He was picking up Sam's trousers and pants, putting some sort of black powder in it. I rolled my eyes and let him play his game.

"So I think I might have a theory about what's going on."

"Oh yeah."

"Yeah, what if Mordechai is a tulpa?" Sam appeared out of the shower in a towel.

"Dude, come on. My eyes!" I moaned and guarded them.

"Tulpa?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, a Tibetan thought- form."

"Yeah, no, I know what a tulpa is, Hey, why don't you get dressed. I wanna go grab something to eat."

"Thank you! Put some bloody clothes on."

"There you go gents and lady."

I rolled my eyes at him and Dean got it and threw him a warning glance.

"Thank you." We walked to the table and laughed as Sam was itching at his pants. "Dude what's your problem?"

"Nothing, I'm fine." He lied through his teeth.

"Yeah?" he grinned at me and I mirrored his face perfectly.

"Yeah."

"All right, so keep going. What about these tulpa's?"

"Okay, so there was this incident in Tibet in 1915. A group of monks visulize a golem in their hands. The meditate on it so hard, they bring the thing to life. Out of thin air."

"So?" Dean shrugged.

I rolled my eyes and continued the explanation. "That was 20 monks. Imagine what 10,000 web surfers could do. I mean, Craig starts the story about Mordechai…then it spreads, goes online."

"Now there are countless people all believing in the bastard." Sam added on the end.

"Okay. Wait a second. You're trying to tell me…that just because people believe in Mordechai, he's real?"

"I don't know, maybe." Sam muttered.

"People believe in Santa Claus. How come I'm not getting hooked up every Christmas."

"Because you're a bad person. And because of this: that's a Tibetan spirit sigil. On the wall of the house. Craig said they were painting symbols from a theology textbook. I bet you they painted this not even knowing what it was. Now that sigil has been used for centuries. Concentrating meditative thoughts like a magnifying glass. So people are on the hellhound's website…staring at that symbol, thinking about Mordechai…I mean, I don't know, but it might be enough to bring a tulpa to life."

"It would explain why it keeps changing."

"Right. As the legend changes, people think different things…so Mordechai himself changes…like a game of telephone. Would also explain why the rock salt didn't work."

"Because he is not a traditional spirit per say."

"Yeah."

"Okay. So why don't we just…er…get this spirit-sigil thingy off the wall and the website."

"Well, it's not that simple. You see, once tulpa's are created, they take on a life of their own."

"Great. All right, so if he really is a thought form…how the hell are we supposed to kill an idea?"

"Well, it's not going to be easy with these guys helping us. Check out their home page. Since they posted the video…the number of hits have quadrupled in the last day alone."

"I got an idea, come on."

"Where are we going?"

"We need to find a copy store." Dean informed us.

"Man, I think I'm allergic to our soap or something."

We both laughed at him and he gave me a look of death as we walked through the door.

"You did this?" he accused me.

"No, would I ever do that to you?" I laughed at him.

"You're a frigging jerk!" he told Dean, annoyed like hell.

"Oh, yeah."

We went to the motor home park later that night, all of us in good moods after Sam had changed his pants. We made our way to the one trailer in particular and I laughed as I heard the phrase, one I hadn't heard in years.

"What would Buffy do?" I repeated at them.

Dean rolled his eyes and banged on the door hard. "Come on out here guys. We hear you in there."

"Its them." Someone muttered.

"Oh look at that. Action figures in their original packaging. What a shock." He smirked and I smiled at them.

"Guys, we need to talk." Sam informed them sternly.

"Yeah, erm, sorry guys, we're a little busy right now." Ed was being sterner.

"Okay, well, we'll make it quick. We need you to shut down your website." I folded my arms in stubbornness.

"You know, these guys get us busted last night. We spend the night in a cell,"

"I had to pee in that cell in front of people and I get stage fright." Harry added obviously mortified.

"Why should we trust you guys…"

"Look, guys…we all know what we saw, what's in the house. But now, thanks to you're website…there are thousands of people hearing about Mordechai."

"That's right, which means people are gonna keep showing up at the Hell house…and running into him in person, and someone could get hurt." Dean added.

"Yeah." Ed wasn't in least bit bothered and that annoyed the hell out of me.

"Ed, maybe he's got a point."

"Thank you Harry." I smiled at him.

"No."

"No."

"Okay, we have an obligation to our fans, to the truth."

"Well I have an obligation to kick both your little asses right now…" Dean was getting riled.

"Yeah, and you know what Buffy would have done by now?" I asked Harry.

"What the hell would you know?"

"Oh trust me, don't mess with her and the kick assness of SMG." Dean backed me up.

"She would have kicked both your asses, got you through five rounds with Spike. Then, she'd have Willow pull down your website before sending both your asses to LA where she'd have Angel lock you up in the cellar confinement of Wolfram and Hart. But saying that, Andrew could probably kick both you're dorky little asses and walk away!"

They stood stunned for a while before I let out a sigh of annoyance and went to hit Ed. Sam caught me by the elbows before I had made contact with his face.

"Dean. Mary. Hey, just forget it, all right? These guys….you could probably bitch slap them both. I could probably even tell them that thing about Mordechai. But they're still not gonna help us. Let's just go."

"Yeah, you're right." Dean added and we walked away.

"One, two and finally…" I hadn't even finished my count when Harry asked.

"What'd you say about…?"

"No, wait."

"Wait wait,"

"Just hold on a second."

"What thing about Mordechai, you guys?"

Sam looked at us and I shook my head.  
"Don't tell them Sam." Dean warned.

"If they agree to shut the website down Dean…."

"They're gonna do it. You said so yourself."

"No, wait wait. Don't listen to him, okay? We'll do it." Harry added.

"It's a secret Sam." I pleaded with him effectively.

"Look, it is a pretty big deal all right and it wasn't easy to dig up. So only if we have your word that you'll shut everything down."

"Totally." Ed was almost drooling with excitement at the thought of it.

"All right. It's a death certificate from the '30's. We got it at the library. Now according to the coroner…the actual cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound."

"That's right, he didn't hang or cut himself." Dean smirked.

"He shot himself?" Harry was jumping on the balls of his feet. His geeky face lit up in morbid joy.  
"Yep, with a .45 pistol. To this day they say he's terrified of them." I sighed.

"Yeah, now as a matter of fact they say if you shoot him with a .45…loaded with these special wrought-iron rounds….you'd kill the son of a bitch."

We waited for the moment of truth and it happened. They ran back to the trailer Ed attempting to act cool to a spectacular fail.

"Harry. Slow your roll, buddy. They're gonna know we're excited."

"So we wait for the geeks to get typing and the case will be solved." I beamed at the thought.

"Buffy?" Dean asked me "Could you get any more of a geek?"

"Shut up Dean!"

Dean had managed to find another diner in Richardson that we had yet to try, so he had to try it. Unfortunately for us it held the most annoying piece of wall hanging in the world. And of course, Dean couldn't help but pull the damn string on the laughing man.

"Seriously, dude, I will physically…." I ran my hands through my hair and growled in annoyance. Sam felt the same way.

"If you pull that string one more time, I'm gonna kill you." He warned and returned to his laptop. Making sure Dean took the chance to pull, as a reaction I hit him across the back of his head

"What was that for?" he moaned.

"Being a bitch!" I retorted.

He chuckled as Sam turned it off. "Come on, man. You need more laughter in your life. You know, you're way too tense. They post it yet?" Sam handed Dean the laptop and he read on. 'We've learned from reputable sources…that Mordechai Murdock has a fatal fear of firearms." All right. How long do we wait?"

"Long enough for the new story to spread and the legend to change. I figure by nightfall, iron rounds will work on the sucker."

"Then I get to go home, back to the normality of Catholic high school." I smiled.

"Not to mention the one pissed off mother." Sam chuckled.

"Oh yeah! There's that!" I ran my hands through my hair. "Well, there's one thing."

"Oh yeah, and whats that?" Dean probably knew where I was going.

"There is the incredibly fit ass bf to comfort me." I grinned and him and he scowled at me.

"Sweet." He was being sarcastic as he took a swig of beer. But when he tried to put it down again, it was going nowhere. I grinned and laughed a little, Sam was in hysterics.

"Dude, I seriously cannot believe you didn't see that coming!" I sat back in my chair. He scowled at Sam.

"You didn't."

"Oh, I did." He pulled the string on the laughing man and we laughed together at Dean.

That night, we went to finally finish the job once and for all. We were all armed and ready for action. Shining the torches around the old wooden shack, I now understood how this place could give people the creeps enough to start up a whole ghost story that had taken on a life of its own.

"Mary, stay close!" Sam ushered me to his side.

"Mm mm mm," I acted annoyed but did as I was told.

"Well, do you think old Mordechai's home?" Dean asked outloud.

"I don't know." Sam shrugged.

"Me neither." We all jumped at a fourth voice and turned to aim our guns at whoever it belonged to.

"Whoa! Whoa! Hey. Whoa." Harry placed his hands up.

"What are trying to do get yourself's killed?"  
"We're just trying to get a book-and-movie deal okay." Ed defended himself.

"Yeah, well, Ed. This isn't an episode of Most Haunted, okay. Shit happens and people get hurt and sometimes they…." There was a noise behind the door causing me to jump.

"Oh crap." Harry uttered the words we all were thinking.

"Uh, guys, you wanna…. You wanna go open that door for us?" Ed asked.

"Why don't you?" Dean asked.

Nobody got the chance to, because the door flung open and he stood there. Highly pissed and ready for the kill. We began to shoot at him, but nothing seemed to work. So he disappeared again.

"Oh, God, he's gone. He's gone." The geeks started up.

"Did you get him?"

"Yeah, they got him."

"No on camera. Did you get him on camera?"

"Er, I, well I…"

"Let me see it. Let me see it." He wrestled the camera out of Ed's hands. But yet again, Mordechi appeared and with a sharp blow hit the camera out of his with an axe, causing Harry to fall to the floor.

"Hey. Didn't you guys post that B.S. story we gave you?" Dean was highly pissed off now.

"Of course we did." Ed answered him.

"Then our server crashed."

"Yeah." Ed shuffled his foot.

"Great!" I ran my hands through my hair.

"So it didn't take? So these—these guns don't work?"

"Yeah."

"Great. Sam, any ideas?" Dean asked him.

"We are getting out of here." Harry added and began to move.

"Yeah."

"The hell you are!" I muttered and followed them. Pissed off they were going to leave without finishing up a job.

"Come on Ed." He turned and I stopped in front of him.

"Get your ass back in there now…or…What is it?" I turned and nearly passed out. He was huge and over bearing me. I felt Harry grab my arm and make me run for it with him.

"Okay, let's go, let's go. Mother, Mary and Joseph…." We hit a dead end and they cowered in front of me. At least if I died I would be the last to go.

"The power of Christ compels you. The power of Christ compels you" Ed muttered over and over again.

"Hey! Come and get it you ugly son of a bitch." Mordechai followed Sam without a flinch "Get out of here! Now!" Sam shouted at us, more at me.

"Run, run."

"We're out of here."

"Dean!" I heard him shout from the outside of the house and I watched as a fire was started.

"Seriously, the power of Christ compels you? It wasn't Gary Oldman you were dealing with in there!" I growled annoyed with them.

"How the hell did she know that?" Ed asked Harry.

"I watch a lot of crap tv and read a lot of novels!" I shouted back at them as I went to find the Impala.

I sat on the hood and called Danny's number. "Hey, when you getting here?"

"Nice to hear from you to." Danny laughed "About twelve hours or so."

"Good. I need you here."

"Rough night?" he was concerned now.

"Week more like it. I'll see you soon."

"See you soon. And Mary…"

"Yeah." I snapped.

"I love you." He was smiling on the end of the phone and I smiled back.

"I love you to. Now hurry up and get here!"

"Yes ma'am!" he put the phone down.

I smiled as the boys came back to the car. "Hi."

"I told you to stay close." Sam was pissed more than Dean.

"Sorry dad!" I added as I got in the back of the car. "Won't happen again, I promise."

"I'm just glad you're alive, that's all."

"So am I Sammy." I smiled back at him and fell asleep.

The next night was the last I was going to spend with Sam and Dean in a long time I feared. My mother was highly annoyed with me and had promised to ground me for a good few months. So I was going to enjoy the little time I had left with the boys as we finished up the job. I wanted to say thanks to Ed and Harry, if it hadn't been for them, I would be dead by now.

We heard them in full geek mode as we made our way toward them.

"I was thinking that Mordechai has a really super high attack bonus."

"Dude, I got the munchies right now." Harry informed Ed with the same authority that Dean gave us when he was hungry. They noticed us pretty quickly

"Gentlemen and geeket." He nodded at me and I nodded back.

"Hey, guys." Sam answered for all three of us.

"Should we tell them?" Harry asked.

"Eh, might as well. They're gonna read about it in the trades."

"So this morning we got a phone call from an important Hollywood producer."

"Oh yeah, wrong number?"

"No, smart-ass. He read all about the Hell House on our website…and wants to option the motion picture rights. Maybe even have us write it."

"And create the RPG."

"The what?"Dean asked confused.

"Role playing game."

"Right."

"Look, little lingo for you. Anywho, excuse us. We're off to La-La land."

"Well congratulations. That sounds really great." Sam smiled.

"Call me if you run into James Marsters, will you?" I asked them.

"Sure thing." Harry laughed.

"Oh yeah, best of luck to you."

"Oh yeah luck. It's got nothing to do with it. It's about talent. You know, sheer, unabashed talent. Later. See you around." They pulled away and I took my cue to play out my plan.

I stealithly made it to Danny and kissed him quickly before handing him the keys.

"Please don't kill her." I warned him before he got in then quietly and slowly drove her away leaving me to count the money.

"Yeah, truce. At least for the next hundred miles." Dean stopped talking and looked around rather pissed off. "Where's my car?"

"We parked it right here Dean." I couldn't tell if Sam was confused or just playing the game.

"Son of a bitch! She sold it!" he picked up speed and made his way over to me. "You sold my car!"

"Ah-ha. Good price too. Five hundred." I handed him the dollar bills

"You sold the car for five…" He ran his hands through his hair. "I'll kill you."

I laughed and watched as Danny turned the car back around. "Relax Dean. Looks like the guy wants his money back anyway." He got out of the car and placed his arms around my waist.

"Hey…I know…." Dean began. Sam was creased over with laughter.

"Oh I so won that bet! The look on your face." I joined in with Sam as did Danny.

"Very funny. I'll kick his ass next time I see you two." Dean warned us as we got into Danny's 1960's Mercedes

"Okay. Danny's taking me home, to see my baby."

"Baby? What baby?" Sam stopped laughing.

"A car! 1959 Chevy, b-day pressie. Bye you two. See you when you're next getting you're asses kicked."


	22. Prologue: Dead Man's Blood

**A/N/ APOLOGY!- I am so sorry it has taking me so long to do this, but I have a veyr valid reason! My laptop got infected, by the plague, thats how bad it was. If there was a scale it would be the black death! So I had to reset it to factory settings and I thought I had all things Supernatural backed up, but no, I hadn't! Sorry! I know this is short and there is a huge gap between hell house and Dead Man's Blood. But I will explain everything that occurs between now and then! Courtesy of a Q&A with dead old Uncle J! **

**Love you guys! ****Stephanie. **

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The phone rang beside me in the early hours of the morning. I rubbed my head and looked at the name. John Winchester it announced in bold black writing. I was more than surprised because Uncle John hadn't called me since I arrived back from Texas, with the whole Hell House experience under my belt.

"Hello." I yawned and turned on the lamp.

"Mary, hey, how are you?" his gruff voice comforted me more than I could say.  
"Tired. It's like four in the morning." I rubbed my eyes to make sure the alarm clock wasn't lying to me.

"I know, and I'm sorry about that. Your mom asked if you'd like to spend some time with me. Saying as you're homeschooled now."

That was another thing; the school had refused to let me go back after a certain incident concerning a Devils trap and a firefly through which I was expelled for vandalism. They didn't press charges and I had to go to counselling for a couple of months. This in the words of my mom, well lets not go there, because they were pretty explanatory.

"Sure, why the hell not. Where are you?"  
"An hour or two outside of Chicago." He yawned.

"Okay, we off on a hunt? Or are you crashing here for a few days?"

"I'll be crashing for a few days." He smiled down the phone. "See you soon."  
"See you soon Uncle John." I yawned and rolled over on the bed to notice Danny hadn't moved all night. Nothing had happened in that way yet, things kept getting in the way. Still, if Uncle John found him in the house when mom wasn't here, he'd kill him first and then me.

"Danny." I shook his shoulder "Come on, you have to leave."  
"Why? It's only four!" he moaned and grabbed me closer to him.

"I know that, but Uncle John is on his way around and I don't want him getting the wrong end of the stick and killing you!" I pleaded.

"Okay. I get it, I get it. For what it's worth, I don't want to end up dead either." He smiled.

I giggled a little at him "I don't want you dead either." I smiled as he managed to pin me under him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Well, I did have plans for you this morning, but saying as John Winchester is turning up, they will have to wait." He went to get up but I wouldn't let him.

"I still have time to make out with you!" I pleaded whilst pouting and he rolled his eyes. A sure sign that I had well and truly won that argument.


	23. Chapter 23

Danny did leave, giving me just enough time to shower and get ready before I heard the R.V. in the driveway. I couldn't help but get the happy feeling I did when Uncle John turned up; he was the only person that made me feel truly protected and safe when he was around. Mom hated that I was dependent on him; she had never been dependent on anyone. But I wasn't my mom, as much as I had told her recently. I let him hug me fiercely as he entered the house, knowing he was fighting the urge to cry as much as I was.

"I've missed you!" I muttered as he held me to him.

"I've missed you to kid!" he grinned as I pulled away. "Something smells good."

"Oh, I made you pancakes." I let him follow me to the kitchen. "I hope you like them; I know you don't get much of a chance for home cooked food on the road. So I thought I would feed you while you were here. That is if you don't mind the occasional burnt thing. " He looked dumb founded as I made my way around the kitchen. "What is it?" I asked as I poured him his coffee.

"Nothing." He shrugged. He was avoiding, he did that like Dean, by eating, "These are good."

I sat in front of him and poured my orange juice. "Ah-ha."

"What's the ah-ha for? They are."  
"Oh, I know they are. But you're avoiding the right answer, or the true one. Because there is a difference.""How did you know?"  
"You're eating too quickly. Dean does it to."

"I was just wondering when you became a woman. It seems to have happened over night."  
"You've been gone a few months, not one night."  
"The whole cooking thing. They still teach that at school?"

"Excluded, remember." I shrugged.

"Never thought I would see the day." He frowned.

"You and the rest of the world." I forked the pancake.

"You gonna eat that?"

"Nope, help yourself." I let him take the pile off my plate before I washed it up. "So with all the time I have over, I've learned how to be a good little house wife."

"You think that's a good thing?"  
"Yeah, it is. Saying as mom is hardly here anymore because her business is going into global domination. You know I wouldn't be surprised if she started retail on Mars next spring."

"So Ruth isn't around much anymore."

"Nope. But I'm cool with it. She knows I can look after myself."

"We both do. It's just not the Ruth I knew a few months ago." He shrugged before bringing his plate to the counter.

"What do you mean?"  
"After the second fire in your room. Ruth refused to let anyone near you, or let you go anywhere without me or Dean for so long. She put you in the school with the tightest security, built on hallowed ground, so you couldn't get hurt. Moved across the country to get you in there. Now, she's off doing God knows what, leaving you on your own."

"She's in real estate Uncle John. It's her business, which she needs to provide for her little girl. And I haven't been totally alone."

"By that you mean?"  
"I've had Danny to look after me."

"You're still a thing?"

I rolled my eyes and moved to clear up the table "You make it sound so sordid."

"He's a guy."

"And it's not a _thing_ as you so politely put it. Because _nothing _has happened."  
"What's wrong with him?" he mumbled hoping I hadn't heard.

"Okay. I'm going to pretend I didn't just hear that! Go and clean up because you stink and I'll wash your clothes through."

"What would I do without you!" he kissed my head and hugged me again.

"Crash and burn!" I pulled away. "Go and use the fruity stuff in the shower. Lemon and citrus will make a welcome replacement for sweat and grime!"

I left Uncle John's clean things outside the bathroom door before I made my way to my own room to collect my homework. It was stupid because I got more homework being homeschooled than I did when I was at a real school. I settled myself on the sofa, my feet up, surrounded by books and paper.

"How's it going?" he asked from nowhere.

"Okay, I suppose. Apparently a stake through the heart and garlic on the mouth used to work on vampires." I shrugged. "That was in the 1890's in England."

"Explains it." He grinned as he sat opposite me, shifting my feet on top of his legs as he turned on the TV. "I can turn it off if you need to concentrate."  
"Nope, I've read this about fifty times already." I shrugged and yawned.

"Tired?"  
"It's your fault, waking me up at four in the morning!" I scolded him playfully.

"Get some sleep Mary. I'm sure the house won't burn down if you do."

"Ha ha, very funny!" still I moved and put my head on his lap, taking in the old musty smell of him. Sending me off to sleep within ten seconds.


	24. Chapter 24

When I woke up, it was around five, it had just started to get dark outside the house. Uncle John was still there, asleep himself. I yanked myself up and rubbed my eyes awake; he had left the TV on. I rolled my eyes before prising the remote from his hand and switching it off. I was groggy to say the least as the books were piled up. Somehow Stoker wasn't holding so much of an attraction for me as it had done a few hours ago. I placed them on the dining room table before coming back to see if Uncle John had noticed I wasn't there. He had woken up, without the noise of the TV it was too hard for him to sleep. He had to have something going on in the background.

"Do you want coffee?" I asked him with a yawn. "Cause, I could do with a coffee right now." I moaned whilst lying back on the sofa and rubbing my head.

"We could go out." He muttered and I laughed at him "What's so funny?"  
"I can just imagine you in Starbucks. You'd be clueless!" I was in hysterics. "I'm sorry; I get the giggles when I'm sleepy!"

"I think you're just embarrassed to be seen out with Uncle John."  
"No, not at all!" I smiled as I leant up on my elbows. "Come on!" I got up and pulled his hand "We'll go to Starbucks! You need some culture that doesn't involve the supernatural. We'll have fun!"

"No, Mary-Ellen!" He stayed put.

"Come on! Please!" I pouted and his eyes rolled. "Yes! Let me get changed and I'll be back!"

"Ten minutes, tops!"  
"Yes sir!" I saluted him before bounding up the stairs and making myself look presentable.

I got back within nine minutes pleased that I had outdone Uncle John's expectations.

We went outside and John immediately tried to go for the R.V but I wasn't going to have any of it.

"Come on Uncle John!" I dragged him from the car handle. "It won't kill you to use your legs!"

"Hey, I'm old now!" he made his point.

"Shut up! You're a monster slayer! You have to keep fit! Plus, it's a nice night anyway!"

"I'll make a deal with you. Tell me what happened to get you expelled and I'll walk, go to Starbucks and whatever else you want to do."

I weighed it up in my mind. I didn't want him to think I was a complete idiot with what had happened. "Fine, we'll use the car."

"No. The deal is done. You're going to tell me in Starbucks Mary-Ellen like it or not!"

"Fine!" I stormed off and he followed me. I had calmed down by the time we had reached the green lantern of goodness. I ushered Uncle John to a table, because I could see his confused face as he looked at the board.

"So," he began as I sat opposite him "What happened? I thought you were a good student, had top grades."

"I did. I was still when I left...well got kicked out." I shrugged and drank some of the cold Frappicino in front of me.

"Why did you get kicked out?"

"You're not going to drop this, are you?" I asked and he got the stern look on his face that ran through the Winchester family. "She was a good friend, my best friend actually. But even the devil can be charming."

"She was possessed then?"

"Yeah, to put it bluntly Uncle John. Ever since we met, it just seems the demon was using her to get to me. Putting me in dangerous situations to..."

"Get to the Winchesters." He sighed "So you did the exorcism?"

"Not entirely on my own. Danny helped me out, so did Bobby."

"Bobby Singer helped? How did you get that old coot out of his car park?"

"Hey! He's been through a lot! At least you had Dean and Sam after Aunt Mary died! Bobby had no-one!" I sighed after my outburst, Uncle John was in shock. I had never put him straight before so effectively. I quickly moved on to tell the story he wanted to hear.

'It wasn't long after Danny brought me back from the hell house, where I'd been on the hunt with Sam and Dean. Mom was slightly miffed off to put it politely. So I wasn't allowed anywhere but school and home. Danny had to be home by nine each night and was only allowed to come over after I had done my homework. It was like being in a military camp. Mom had to go on business for a few days again. So I was left at the school, under the watchful eye of the teachers. I spent the nights in Fly's room. Then..."

"Then? What happened?" he urged.

"Things started to get weird, even for a catholic school."

"I'll get these to go." He smiled and we left together. "How weird?"  
"One of the Fathers was murdered. They found him hanging from the rafters in the chapel. He had had a hard time of it, it made him a bit depressive, poor guy, but never that bad. Then Bobby showed up."


	25. Chapter 25

Three months earlier. 

I was sitting in the quad with the rest of the student body, the boys school had even turned out as they moved the body out to the ambulance. He had been a good guy, the preacher. He knew things about me and my family, more than anyone in the world. I had called Danny as soon as I had found him; Fly was already there, she was pretty beaten up herself. Unconscious as they wheeled her to the ambulance. I sat wrapped in a blanket, a cup of coffee untouched in my hand as Danny came running down into the courtyard, he wasn't alone. Bobby was there with him.

"Mary!" he sat next to me and kissed my temple, I let him pull me close to him, the scent of his shirt soothing me. "I'm so sorry!"

"Me to." I snuggled into him and let the silent tears roll. "He was the only one that knew almost everything. So does Fly. They're being targeted because they know me!"

"We can't know that Mary- Ellen." Bobby added in. "they could have been in the wrong place at the wrong time."  
"I appreciate your optimism Uncle Bobby. But it isn't working at this moment in time."

Danny was silent, usually he told me off for being so harsh with people, but today he was letting me get away with it.

"We'll find out what happened, I promise." Danny kissed my hair before making me sit down with him on the bench, his arm firmly around my shoulders as he did so. "Do you want me to call your mother or John?"

"No, I'm good. I can cope with this on my own. With your help, anyway." I smiled weakly as he held me tighter.

"Have the police questioned you yet?" Bobby asked me and I nodded.

"Yeah they have. They think it's a suicide and Fly tried to stop him from doing it but..."

"But?" Danny pondered.

"I'm not convinced. I knew that guy; he was in no way suicidal. He had everything going for him. Fly would normally be nowhere near the chapel, she hates it."

With that, Danny drove me back to his place where he could keep a closer eye on me. I had to wash the blood off in the shower, it was amazing how that stuff got everywhere, and it seemed to be attracted to me more than anybody else. It clogged in my hair and caked on my skin, and then even when it had all gone, I still felt it on my body.

I made my way into the longue where Bobby and Danny were in deep conversation.

"She said it herself Danny, that girl would have been nowhere near the chapel..."

"So she's an atheist! It doesn't mean she's possessed by something..."

"Look at the facts! Every time Mary has been in trouble, she has been one step behind her!"

"I just can't believe it. I've trusted Fly to many times over for her to be possessed."

"Suck it up! Your feeling of failure won't help us at all in this situation!"

"What situation Uncle Bobby?" I asked him, more aggressively than ever before. "Do you not think I would have noticed by now if Fly was possessed?"

Danny tried to put his arms around me but I flung him off.

"No, just leave me!" I paced up and down for a little while "Are you sure about this?"  
Bobby exchanged a glance with Danny.

"I'm asking the questions! Not him!" the tears were on the brink of falling down my face.

"Yes."

"Oh my God! I'm an idiot!" I put my back against the wall and slid down to the floor. "She's been my best friend, my only friend, for years!"

Danny sat next to me and placed an arm around my shoulder, kissing my head gently.

"I know. But she isn't Fly. She's something else and we have to sort this before she hurts anyone else."

"How are we going to do it? We can't just burst into the hospital, ambush her and drag her out." I let him pull me across his knees.

"We'll sort something out, I promise!" he kissed my head. "Come on, you should get some sleep."

(I removed the next part from my conversation with Uncle John, he would not be amused with a twenty something year old male in bed with his just legal niece.)

He picked me up and took me into his room and onto his bed. He sat next to me and took my shoes off before running his hand through my hair.

"Danny?"

"Mmmm Mary?" he lay beside me and pulled me him. I placed my head on his chest.

"Why is my life so messed up? Don't you wish we could have a normal life? In a few years get married have a couple of kids, the house, the dog..."  
He laughed a little at me "Anything else Campbell?"

"No, I think I have it covered now."  
"Well..." he rolled me under him "I can think of one other thing."

"Really?" I smiled "Now, are you doing this for sympathy or because you want to?"  
"No, I want to!" he rubbed his nose over mine and kissed me. "But right now we need to sleep."

"Thank you." I kissed him back before falling asleep on top of him.

When I woke up I found my bag at the bottom of the bed, Danny was still sleeping next to me. His arm around my shoulders, still snuggling me in.

"I love you!" I whispered into his ear before sliding out of bed and going to the bathroom. I looked in the mirror and tried to sort out my hair.

(This is where I began to tell Uncle John things again.) I made my way to the kitchen and smiled at Uncle Bobby.

"Coffee?" I smiled at him.

"Thanks." He didn't even look at me as I pottered around the kitchen and three minutes later handed him his hot sweet coffee.

"So, you got anything on Fly?" I murmured.

"No, not yet." He rubbed his eyes.

"Well, Americas a big country Uncle Bobby." I shrugged and moved to sit in the window. "You haven't heard from Sam or Dean?"  
"Nope, can't say I have." He wasn't in the least bit interested.

'I just hope their okay right now.' I silently thought in my head and went to sit in the window.

* * *

We had made it back to the house by this time. Uncle John shrugged.

"So..." he urged me on.

"So...what?" I looked at him and rolled my eyes "You wanna hear the rest. Can it wait until the morning?"

"No. You dragged me to Starbucks on the promise of the story. I want to hear the rest now."

"Fair enough, I'll keep up my end of the bargain." I shrugged and let him into the house. We sat in the longue. "So, we went to visit her in hospital the next day, when she could have visitors in...

* * *

She seemed pretty normal, just battered and bruised. I acted as calmly as I could whilst Danny waited outside for me.

"Hey Mary!" Fly exclaimed as she sat propped up on the bed.

"Hey Fly! How are you feeling?" I sat next to her.

"Good, apart from being in this hell hole." She grinned.

"I tried to sneak in some chocolate but they wouldn't let me."

"It's like a prison, honestly!"

A silence fell on us for a little while. "Fly, I wanted to ask, why were you at the church? You hate it there, it's like you're allergic to it!"

"I wasn't. I was just passing through, when I heard screaming. Nobody else seemed to be around, when I got there, I found him hanging...from the..." she began to sob.

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry I wasn't there with you!" I hugged her and kissed her head.

"I think it's best you leave now. She's due more morphine." The nurse added and I nodded.

"Get some rest Fly and I'll come to see you soon." I smiled and left her on the bed. Danny was anxiously waiting for the diagnosis.

"Well?"

"She's lying alright. She has to have something to do with it."  
"How do you know she's lying?"

"Because, she said no-one was around outside. The garden was packed when I got there, with it being lunch time! Nobody heard anyone scream, not even Fly!"

* * *

We were at the door then, we had managed to make a full trip back to my house.

"So..." John persisted.

"So, the next day we went to check on her again, only to be told she had discharged herself early. She knew we were on to her. I guess it scared her knowing the hunters were close on her tail, making her the hunted."

"That's it, you let her get away?"

"Not quite yet Uncle John! I learned from you remember!"

"Point made." He smiled at me then looked at his watch. "God, it's time you were asleep."

"I'm not six anymore." I stood my ground, little good it did me every time.

"Nope you're not. Anyway I want to hear about the rest of this hunt."  
"Can it wait, I'm kinda tired out." I pouted and he nodded before kissing my head.

"Night Mary Ellen." He hugged me and beamed.

"Night Uncle John." I smiled back and ran up the stairs to jump into bed.

I was woken by someone shrugging my shoulder.

"What?" I moaned and turned on the light.

"Come on, you have to pack." Uncle John was throwing my things into a bag.

"Why? What's happened? Is it the boys?"

"No, someone else. Come on! Where are your sweaters?" he urged me.

"God, I'm coming already!" I jumped out of bed and emptied my sweaters into a bag along with jeans, shirts and boots. "So, were hunting?" I asked and he nodded. "I'll go get ready, there's some Red Bull and other things in the pantry."

"Thank you Mary!" he ran down to the kitchen. I pulled on a vest top and jeans. My check shirt lying open over the top of it and pulled on my hiking boots before running after John. "So this place is cold then?"

"Yep, Manning, Colorado." He was halfway to the car in the short duration of that sentence.

"Great, snow!" I locked up.


	26. Dead Man's Blood

Uncle John drove as fast as he could to Colorado, the nearer we got the colder the air around me became. I called Danny on the cell.

"Hello, Mary, what is it?"

"I'm on a hunt. With Uncle John."

"Your mother will kill you!"

"More you than me!" I laughed at him.

"I had plans for you tonight!"

"And Uncle John Winchester can still hear you Singer!" John muttered made clear to me.

"Oh, okay. Right, I will let you go. I love you." He stuttered down the phone.

"I love you to Danny. See you soon." I put the cell down. "Don't worry, I'm still as innocent as the last time you saw me."

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I think I know that Mary."

Quickly I changed the subject "So, why are we going to Colorado?" I yawned and rested my head on the door.

"One of my friends, Danny Elkins, who helped me out a lot when I first started hunting. He's been murdered by..."

"By?" I asked him through a yawn.

"Vampires." He muttered.

"I thought there was no such thing. I thought they were extinct!" I was mildly excited by the news.

"Don't sound so happy about. Elkins was a good man."

"Sorry, I know that." I muttered. "Elkins, I know that name. You took me to see him when I was about eleven. I thought he was Danny Elfmen!"

"Who?" he asked.

"You know, the 'Nightmare Before Christmas', Tim Burton. This is Halloween."

"Oh God, you loved that movie."

"And you hated it!" I smiled. "I'm going to sleep. Wake me when we land in snow country."

I laid my head back and fell asleep within five minutes.

Uncle John didn't need to wake me up because as soon as the car stopped I was awake. It had been something I always did from being born. To make me sleep they would drive me around in the car.

"Hey, what happened?" I sat up.

"Nothing, were at the Motel, I've just put your things in the cabin. Right now, were off to Elkins house."

"Oh fun!" I got out of the car and went with him to the boot. "Do I get a gun?"

"Yes, you know how to use one?" he grinned and hand me one.

"I'm sure I can use one..." I took one off him "Dad!"

He looked taken aback "Since when..."

"That is because you started to act like one! More recently than ever." I shrugged. "And I like it!"

Uncle John, looking like he was about to cry, placed an arm around me and kissed me head. "I like it to."

"You're the only Dad I have ever known Uncle John. And you're the only one I will ever need!"

"Come on, we have a job to do."

"Yes, let's play Demon Hunters." I went with him through the snow and up to the cabin. "Is someone in there?"

The flashlights moved in the house.

"Yeah."

I scanned the view for some tell tale sign and found it "Kaz. It's the boys." I went to make my way over to the house. "Come on Uncle John."

"No." John grabbed my arm. "We need to make sure they weren't followed by anyone."

"So I don't get to shoot anything?"

"No, you don't get to shoot anything!" he smirked at me and we checked the rest of the forest before we made our way back to the car to follow the boys.

They stopped outside of a post office and we hid around the block before making our way to the car I had dreamt about saving me for the past...well God knows how long.


	27. Chapter 27

Uncle John led the way to the Impala, and I followed suit. He tapped on the window, Sam and Dean lost in their own worlds, pondering on the envelope they had with them.

Dean jumped out of his skin "Dad? Mary?"

We made our way into the car either side; I beamed as I smelt the old leather in the car interior. I belonged here, in this world.

"Dad what are you doing here? Are you alright?" Sam blabbered out. I knew the last bit was jibed at me. I rolled my eyes at him and looked out of the window.

"Yeah, am okay. When I read the news about Daniel, I got here as fast as I could. I saw you two up at his place."

"Why didn't you come in Dad?" Sam asked the stupid question and I shook my head slyly.

"You know why, because I had to make sure you weren't followed. By anyone, or anything, nice job of covering your tracks by the way."

"Yeah, well, we learnt from the best." Dean added.

"Hey captain brown nose!" I teased him which I knew he hated.

"So wait, you came all the way out here for this Elkins guy?"

"Yeah, he was, he was a good man. He taught me a hell of a lot about hunting."

"How come you never mentioned him to us?""

"We had a, we had kind of a falling out. I hadn't seen him in years." He looked at the letter in Dean's hand. "I should look at that." Dean handed him it and he opened it "'If your reading this, I'm already dead.' That son of a bitch!"

"What is it?" Dean looked at him.

"He had it the whole time."

"Dad, what?" Sam joined in.

"When you searched the place, did you, did you see a gun? An antique, a colt revolver. Did you see it?" John was highly pissed off and I clicked what he was on about. It all finally fell into place.

"Er, there was an old case, but it was empty."

"They have it."

"You mean whatever killed Elkins?"

"We gotta pick up the trail." He opened the car door and got out, dragging me with him.

"Wait. You want us to come with you?" Sam looked out the window.

"Well, my arm is saying yes." I moaned.

"If Elkins was telling the truth, we have to find this gun."

"The gun? Why?" Sam kept asking questions.

"Because it's important that's why!"

"Dad, we don't even know what these things are yet!" he argued.

"They were what Danny Elkins killed best. Vampires." He was deadly serious as Dean and I snorted in sync.

"Vampires? I thought there was no such thing." He sat stunned.

"You never even mentioned them dad."

"I thought they were extinct. I thought Elkins and others had wiped them out. I was wrong."

Uncle John took me to his car and I got in.

"It's the Colt isn't it?" I looked at him.

"How did you...."

"You're not the only one who hunts Uncle John. My boyfriend and his uncle do to. Plus, if you haven't noticed, I also read a lot to."

"I know you do sweetheart. I just wish..."

"What? I had never got involved in this? Or you'd never let me get involved?" I scowled as we got out of the van and I dragged my duffle out of the back.

"Let me get that." He tried to get it.

"I'm good Uncle John, I can manage it." I pretended to be stronger than I was.

I smiled as Dean made his way toward me. "Hey small fry!" he hugged me around the shoulders. "Do you want me to carry that for you?"

"Please, if you don't mind Dean." I smiled and let him take it for me.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm okay." I shrugged and let him book us in and we walked to the room.

"I'm going for food. Mary are you coming?" John asked me.

"No, I'm going get a shower. Take Sam, you guys need to catch up." I shrugged and he left.

"You two okay?" Dean looked at me as he cleaned his gun.

"Yeah, he just doesn't want me to grow up. He didn't even want me to have the gun before." I ran my hands through my hair in annoyance.

"He's only protecting you."

"What happens if anything happens to him? Is he going to protect me from beyond the grave?"

"Probably." He sat on the bed with me. "How's life been? Your mom speaking to us yet?"

"You wish!" I giggled a little. "I got expelled, for burning down the school amongst other things."

"Like what? I don't see you as the 'don't do your homework' type."  
"Fighting with demon possessed teachers, devil worship, otherwise known as a devils trap." I smiled. "Not good for a catholic school, even if I was in the top ten." I felt the tears coming.

"Hey, come here!" Dean pulled me toward him. "Why are you crying?"

"My life is just...it seems to be falling apart! Uncle John comes and goes, mom's, God knows where she goes. I'm scared of losing you and Sam. I think I'm going to lose Danny because..."

"Listen to me!" he took my face in his hands. "If he leaves you because you're not ready to go that far, he's not worth you! If he so much as upsets you, I will kill him!" he hugged me again. We're going nowhere Mary! We're here to protect you if your mom goes awol again, you call us and I will drop everything and come to get you!"

I nodded and smiled. "What would I do without you?"

"Go and shower before dad gets back." He let go of me and I took my things to the bathroom. I was ready before Uncle John and Sam came back. I smiled as Uncle John handed me the Chinese food and handed me my book.

"I don't think 'Dracula' is going to help us." I smiled sarcastically.

"No, but it will help you do your homework!" he mirrored my smile "So get reading miss!"

I sat and read until I fell asleep on my book. I felt Uncle John lift me and place me on the bed.

"Uncle John?" I asked.

"Yes Mary?" he sat next to me.

"I'm sorry I'm being a bitch." I was serious but we both ended up laughing.

"Sorry I'm being overprotective!"

"That is nothing to be sorry for! I need someone to protect me!"

"Okay, good night sweetheart!" he kissed my head and let me go to sleep.


	28. Chapter 28

I woke up to the sound of the police radio and rubbed my head. Uncle John hit all of our feet and I got up immediately.

"Sam, Dean, let's go. Picked up a police call." He was pulling his coat on so I did the same thing.

"What happened?" Sam rubbed his head.

"A couple called 911, found a body in the street. The cops got there and everyone was missing. Its the vampires."

"Argh, how do you know?"

"Just follow me, okay?" he left the room and we followed.

"Sam." I smiled at him.

"Yeah Mary?"

"Can you please stop asking him things because it annoys the hell out of him and I have to ride in the SUV whilst he is doing his overprotective bit?"

He smirked at me "I'll try." He got in the Impala with Dean and I clambered in the truck.

"How long are you and Sam going to fight?"

"As long as he keeps acting like a spoilt brat."

"So that is a long time then!" I pulled my hair back and tied it up.

The rest of the journey was very quiet as we reached the road where the police were. Uncle John parked the car with the Impala and we jumped out.

"Right you three stay here and I'll go check this out." He left before anyone could say anything.

The rest of us watched, well Dean and I watched as Sam sulked.

"Are they always like this Dean?" I asked him in a whisper and he nodded.

"Pretty much." He smiled as Uncle John walked back.

"I don't see why we couldn't have gone with him." Sam scowled.

"Oh, don't tell me it's starting." Dean moaned and Sam turned.

"What's starting?"

"What you got?" I asked Uncle John to stop the argument.

"It was them, all right. Looks like they're heading west. We have to double back to get around that detour."

"Oh fantastic." I moaned and let Dean hug me.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Sam." Dean begged him.

"I just wanna know we're going in the right direction."

"We are." Uncle John was being short showing how pissed off he was.

"How do you know?"

He pulled a tooth from his pocket and Dean took it from him.

"I found this."

"It's a vampire fang." Dean was awe struck.

"Bram Stoker eat your heart out!" I smirked and took it from him.

"No fangs, teeth. A second set descends when they attack. Any more questions?" he jibed at Sam who sulked. "All right, let's get out of here, we're losing daylight." I followed him to the SUV. "Hey, Dean. Why don't you touch up your car before you get rust? I wouldn't have given you the damn thing if I thought you were going to ruin it."

"Ouch." I smirked and got in the car. "That was below the belt. He dotes on that thing."

"I only tell it as I see it Mary, you know that!" he grinned and we led the way.

I got out my book and began to read it until the phone in my pocket went haywire a half hour later.

"Shit, it's mom." I opened it. "Hey Mom."

"Mary Ellen Campbell if you don't come back here this instant..."

"I can't come back. I'm busy."

"I don't care!"

"As in Uncle John busy. We're in the middle of Colorado, on a job."

"All the more reason for you to get out of that car and get your ass back home!"

"How do you think I'll manage that one mom? Apparate my ass back? Or maybe I'll call superman to bring me home? How does that sound?"

"Don't use that sarcastic tone with me young lady!"

"I'll be home when I feel like it!"

"You'll be home when I feel like it and I mean now!"

"Guess I am like you for that! Taking off when I want to!"

"How dare you! I do everything for you! You think I like travelling half way across the world at the drop of a hat when my daughter is off demon hunting?"

"I never...." I was cut short as the Impala cut us off in the middle of the road. "Shit!"

"Mary, what is it?"

"I'll call you back. Uncle John is about to kick someone's ass." I shut the phone off and followed Uncle John out of the van.

"What the hell was that?" he shouted.

"Uncle John, come on!" I shouted after him.

"We need to talk!"

"About what?"

"About everything! Where are we going Dad? What's the big deal about this gun?"

"Sammy come on, we can Q and A after we kill all of the vampires?" Dean shouted at the two of them.

"Your brothers right, we don't have time for this!"

"Last time we saw you, you said it was too dangerous for us to be together! Now out of the blue you need our help! Now obviously something big is going down and we wanna know what!"

"Get back in the car." John growled at him.

"No." Sam put his foot down."

"I said, get back in the damn car!"

"Yeah, and I said no!"

They were squaring up with each other.

"Come on Uncle John!" I begged him.

"All right, you made your point tough guy! Look were all tired, we can talk about this later! Sammy, I mean it! Come on!" Dean pulled Sam off and we went back to the SUV.

"This is why I left in the first place!" Sam muttered.

"What'd you say?" John turned around again.

"Oh for the love of God!" I placed my head on the SUV.

"You heard me!"

"Yeah, you left! Your brother and me, we needed you! You walked away Sam! You walked away!"

I decided to turn on the tears, on one hand, it made people pay attention. On the other, I had never heard Uncle John shout like this and I was petrified. Dean noticed and decided to take the upper hand.

"Stop it, both of you!"

"You're the one who said, 'don't come back' Dad. You're the one who closed that door, not me! You were just pissed off you couldn't control me anymore!"

Uncle John grabbed hold of him and was going to beat seven colours out of him.

"Listen! Stop it, stop it, stop it! That's enough!" he turned to Uncle John "That means you too!"

Uncle John and Sam went back to the separate cars.

"Terrific!" he muttered before turning to me "Are you okay?"

"Mmmhmmm!" I smiled and wiped my tears away. "Thank you!"

"No problem!" he went back to the car and I got back in the car with Uncle John.

There was silence in the car with both of us, I refused to look at him.

"Are you okay?" John asked me and I shrugged. "I'm sorry."

"Did you just say that?" I turned to him. "I'm okay. Sam however, he might be otherwise."

"Sam has no right..."

"He had every right and you know that! You just can't stand the fact that he was right!" I scolded him and he went quiet. He knew he wouldn't dare shout at me at all. "I'm going to sleep now."

When I woke up we were in the woods and Uncle John was shaking my shoulder gently.

"Come on Mary." He kissed my head.

"Where are we?"

"We've found the vampires." He undid my seat belt. "Come on."

"Oh great I just wanna sleep." I jumped out the car.

"Oh, he dared to wake you up then?" Dean teased me.

"Yep." I yawned and stretched myself out.

"Come on sleepy head!" he placed his arm around my shoulders and we joined the other two.

"They're in there?" I looked unimpressed. "So much for glamour and Gary Oldman."

A car pulled out in front of the barn and someone let him in.

"Oh, hello salty goodness." I bit my lip. "Why are the bad guys good looking?"

Sam batted the back of my head.

"Ow, that bloody hurt!" I moaned.

"Son of a bitch! So they're really not afraid of the sun?"

"Direct sunlight hurts like a nasty sunburn. The only way to kill them is by beheading. And yeah, they sleep during the day. Doesn't mean they won't wake up."

"So I guess walking right in is not our best option?"

"Actually, that's the plan!" he got the wicked grin on his face. "Come on!"

We followed Uncle John back to the car to collect weapons.

"Hey, Dad, I've got an extra machete if you need one." Dean pulled his knife out.

"Think I'm okay, thanks." He held his knife.

"Wow." He stood awestruck.

"Dean, give me the knife." I took it off him to piss off Uncle John. No one woke me up in the middle of sleep and got away with it.

"So...you boy's really wanna know about this colt?"

"Yes Sir." Sam was showing his obedience in repentance.

"It's just a story. A legend, really. Well I thought it was. I never really believed it until I read Daniels letter."

"Can I tell the story? I'm not going to be doing anything else?" he nodded. "Back in 1835, when Halley's Comet was overhead the same nigh those men died at the Alamo. They say Samuel Colt made a gun. A special Gun. He made it for a hunter, a man like you three, only he went on horseback. The story goes, he typically made thirteen bullets. This hunter used the gun about a half dozen times before he disappeared and the gun along with him."

"Until somehow, Daniel got his hands on it. They say...they say the gun can kill anything." John finished off.

"Kill anything, like supernatural anything?"

"Like the demon." Sam clicked on.

"Wow, got it in one geek boy!"

"Yeah, the demon. Ever since I picked up its trail...I've been looking for a way to destroy that thing. Find the gun...we may have it. Come on, we need to get a move on."

I went to follow hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Get back to the car Mary!" Uncle John threw me the keys. "If anything happens I need you to drive home."

"Fine!" I took the keys and got in the car. "Stupid asshole! You're a girl, you're not allowed to hunt!"

I took my phone out of my pocket and called Danny.

"Hey, how are you?"

"Bored, Uncle John is doing the, you're not allowed to hunt stint." I played with my hair. "Plus, he woke me up this morning."

"Bad move." He laughed. "I miss you."

"I miss you to. I want to come back, but we're busy hunting vampires of all bloody things!"

"I'm so jealous."

"Of what, me sitting in the SUV whilst the boys are doing the work."

"I'm still one of the boys."

"I know that. Your plan for the other night is starting to sound so good to me right now."

The screaming started from the barn.

"Shit! I have to go Danny! Something is going on!" I shut the phone and got out of the car.

Sam and Dean appeared within two minutes.

"Dean, where's Uncle John?" I looked frantically around for him.

"Dad? Dad!" Dean shouted


	29. Chapter 29

He appeared over the hill.

"Thank God for that!"

"They won't follow us. They'll wait till tonight. Once a vampire gets your scent, it's for life."

"What do we do know?"

"You gotta find the nearest funeral home, that's what."

"Oh, cheery. No optimism then!" I rolled my eyes. "Can I go with Dean?"

"No." John's answer was short.

"Why the hell not?" I asked.

"Because you can't young lady! Now get in the car!"

"You're not my father Uncle John!" I spat at him and he looked hurt. "I'm getting in the car with Dean, because no never specified which one!" I sat in the front of the Impala and Dean joined me swiftly.

"That was uncalled for Mary." He scolded me as I searched the map on my mobile phone.

"He should have thought about that before he decided to put the reins on me." I shook my head. "Oh, funeral parlour, told you I had my uses." I sulked.

We reached the funeral home and I pulled out my glasses.

"What are they for?"

"Flirting my way in." I pulled an ID card out of my bag. "Now according to records, the last person to die was one Joseph Ameriez. Lucky for us, he was murdered."

"How..."

"My boyfriend is also a hunter Dean. He knows more than you give him credit for. Now come on, I have a blood bottle here amongst other things."

I got out of the car and let Dean follow me.

"Hey, I'm Detective Richards and this is Dr. Watson. I understand you have the body of a Mr. J. Ameriez here."

"So?" The security muttered.

"Well we have a warrant to take his bloods." I handed him the paper.

"Awfully young to be a Doctor aren't you sweetheart." He leered and I had to stamp on Deans' foot to stop him charging.

"I'll take that as a compliment, but if you call me sweetheart again, it won't be the dead guy I take blood from! Now, the body?"

"Sure thing lady." He rolled his eyes in defence and led us away. He opened the door. "He's all yours."

"Thankyou." I smiled and Dean shut the door after him.

"Fake warrants, that's err...illegal even by my standards."

"Danny has a brother who works in the police dept. He draws up copies for us, we scan them, change names, and dates etc and use the right equipment to print them." I was prepping the arm "Pass me the needle and tube from the bag." He fumbled and gave me it without a second thought. "Okay." I placed them in "I need you to press on his chest, like you were giving mouth to mouth, just without the..."

"Mouth to mouth, got it. No kissing dead guys for Dean Winchester!" he grinned and got on with it.

It took us a good half hour to fill the bottle and I could have jumped for joy when we had finished.

"Okay, lid on the bottle, tidied up, fake hospital bag, bottle in. Then off back to the motel."

"My arm is killing me!" Dean moaned and rubbed his elbow.

"Shut up Detective Richards. We have to get back to the station." I teased and he followed. "Thanks for the hospitality." I smiled at the security guard "And next time, I will have you brought up for sexual harassment."

"Bitch." He muttered as we walked away.

"That's right sweetheart and don't forget it!" I shouted back before we left.

"Good work." Dean praised me before we entered the motel room. "Man, some heavy security to protect a bunch of dead guys." He moaned and I rolled my eyes at him.

"You get it?" John asked and he placed it on the table. "You know what to do." He smiled at us all.

Sam got the arrows from the RV.

"Do we get to play Robin Hood?" I teased.

"You don't. You get to do your homework." Sam was joining Uncle John's side swiftly and surely.

"I've read the novel about thirteen times before. I know it inside out." I complained but still picked it and read where I had left off. "You do realise you can't leave me in the RV tonight? Vampire, scent, bad idea." I smiled.


	30. Chapter 30

"So were just gonna leave Dean there and hope we get there on time?" I hissed as we watched Dean fix the car.

"Thats the plan." Uncle John smiled. "How's your Archery?" he asked me.

"Pretty good." I shrugged and he handed me a bow and arrow. "What's wrong with the cross bow?"

"This works better." He grinned.

"Fair enough." I shrugged and lined up my eyeline. "Which one?"

"The female. On my count, one, two and"

"Three." I let it go and loaded it up again quickly and took out the male.

"Fair enough my ass." He muttered. "You do that at school?"

"Summer camp." I smiled and we left to join Dean.

"Damn it." She muttered and turned to us. "Barely even stings."

"Give it time, sweetheart. Arrow's soaked in dead man's blood. It's like poison to you, isn't it?"

Kate's eyes rolled in the back of her head and Dean caught her in his arms.

"Load her up. I'll take care of this one." Uncle John acted the big man.

"Looks like you're riding with us Mary." Sam smiled at me; I wasn't used to him being civil.

"Sure does geeky." I shrugged and got in the back of the Impala.

We followed Uncle John to a clearing in the woods where he tied up the vampire and lit a fire with the help of Sam and Dean.

"Toss this on the fire. Saffron, skunks cabbage and trillium. It'll block our scent and hers, until we're ready." He handed us the powder which Dean had to check was edible.

"This stuff stinks!" he exclaimed and we threw it on the fire together.

"That's the idea. Dust your clothes with the ashes and you stand a chance of not being detected."

"Oh Mom's going to love this!" I scowled but did as I was told.

"You're sure they'll come after her?" Sam looked less than convinced.

"Yeah. Vampires mate for life. She means more to the leader than the gun. But the blood-sickness is gonna wear off soon so you don't have a lot of time."

"Half hour ought to do it." Sam shrugged.

"And then I want you out of the area as fast as you can."

"But..." Sam started.

"I can't believe you." I ran my hands through my hair.

"Dad, you can't take care of them all yourself."

"I'll have her and the colt."

"So you're going to waste what little bullets you have on vampire target practice?" I was getting irate. "Your an asshole Uncle John." I walked away.

"But after, we're gonna meet up, right? Use the gun, together. Right?"

"Don't waste your breath Sammy. He runs at the first sign of trouble." I spat.

"You're leaving again, aren't you? You still wanna go after the demon alone. You know, I don't get you. You can't treat us like this!"

"Like what?"

"Like children!"

"You are my children! I'm trying to keep you safe!"

"Dad, all due respect, but that's a bunch of crap!" Dean added and I looked at him in shock.

"Excuse me?" John was just as surprised.

"You know what Sammy and I have been hunting. Hell, you sent us on a few hunting trips yourself. You can't be that worried about keeping us safe."

"What about Mary? Can you expect her to keep up with us?"

"You were the one who took me with you! You could have left me safe at home, I have Danny and Bobby! You must have some faith in me!" I kicked the ground.

"It's not the same thing Dean." John avoided me.

"Then what is it? Why do you want us out of the big fight?"

"This demon. It's a bad son of a bitch. I can't make the same moves if I'm worried about keeping you alive."

"You mean you can't be as reckless."

"Look, I don't expect to make it out of this fight in one piece! Your mother's death...it almost killed me. I can't watch my children die too. I won't."

"What happens if you die? Dad, what happens if you die and we could've done something about it? You know, I've been thinking. I...I think maybe Sammy's right about this on. I think me should do this together. We're stronger as a family dad. We just are, you know it!"

"We're running out of time. You do your job and you get out of the area. That's an order!"

"Come on Dean." I took his arm and led him away. "You're a cold hearted bastard Uncle John." I left him and got in the back of the Impala and we drove to the barn.


	31. Chapter 31

"Do I have to stay in the car?" I asked.

"Yeah, but Sammy is to. It's a one man job. It would draw too much attention if we all went in there guns blazing." Dean smiled and turned to me. "Don't worry about it Mary, you'll get your chance, I promise you!" he pressed my nose and I stuck my tongue out at him as he got out of the car.

"Dad just worries about you, you know that right?" Sam asked me.

"Yeah, I do. He just annoys the hell out of me." I shrugged. "I just get away with standing up to him a lot more than you do."

"I have realised that." He smirked.

"Action." I nodded outside of the window as Dean had let everyone go and got back in the Impala.

"So, how are we going to help Uncle John?"

"Order remember?" Sam looked at me in shock.

"You're his kids, not me. He can't punish me as much as you two!" I beamed. "So if I did the instigating, he can't say anything."

"She is technically right." Sam's smile mirrored mine.

"We have to go then." Dean drove us to the woods.

We got out at the clearing where Uncle John had hid the female vampire.

"You got the bow and arrow?" Dean asked me and I nodded. "First sign of trouble you run to the Impala and get out of here!" he handed me the car keys before hugging me.

"I promise." I let go of him and we followed the track up to the main road and hid in the trees. "Dean. It's the truck." I nodded down to the road.

"Load up the arrows." He ushered me and I did as I was told. "Wait for the signal."

"Which is?" I asked whilst keeping my aim right.

"Not sure yet." He muttered.

"Great!" I blew out the air in my mouth and watched the trade anxiously. Kate had got loose from her bonds and the leader threw Uncle John against the car, smashing the car window.

I shot the arrows in place of screaming, hitting my targets every time.

"Stay here Mary! We need you for back up!" Sam told me and I nodded as they made their way down.

In the struggle the leader had managed to grab hold of Sam around the neck and as a reflex I ran to the road on Uncle John's side as Dean sized him up with the machete.

"Nope. I'll break his neck! Put the blade down!"

Dean dropped the blade as a reflex as I helped Uncle John to his feat and held the gun in my hands.

"You people, why can't you just leave us alone? We have as much right to live as you do!"

"I don't think so!" John muttered and Luthor turned.

I quickly shot him in the head and waited for a reaction. The light flashed from his body so I had to hide my eyes. After that, it seemed like all death was leaving him and his body hit the ground.

"Luthor!" his mate screamed and went for us but the newborn grabbed hold of her.

"Kate, don't!" she dragged her to the car and they drove away.

"I guess the colt works then?" I muttered and handed John the gun.

"Good shot Mary." Sam nodded and ran his hands through his hair in relief.

"Thanks. Can I please go to bed now?" I pouted and Uncle John hugged me with a laugh.

That next morning I was dreading going home to my pissed off mother, I wanted to stay with Uncle John and the boys. I went and did my laundry in the motel before anyone else was awake and brought back breakfast for them all.

We were all packing when Uncle John came through the door.

"So boys..." he began and I grinned as I realised I had avoided any of the blame.

"Yes sir?" Sam muttered.

"You ignored a direct order back there."

"Yes, sir." They both muttered.

"Yeah, but we saved your ass." Dean seemed quite pleased until Uncle John glared at them.

"Your right."

"I am?" Dean looked in shock and I had a feeling that I did to.

"It scares the hell out of me. You two,"

I coughed as an interruption.

"Three are all I've got...but I guess we are stronger as a family. So we go after this damn thing. Together."

"Yes, sir!" We said in unison.

"So, are you going to call my mother and tell her why her little girl isn't going home?"

"Sure thing. I'll get her favourite nephew to do it." He handed the cell to Sam.

"Oh, come on..." he pleaded but on realisation he wasn't getting anywhere caved. "Fine! I'll do it!"


	32. Salvation

**A/N- Hey everyone, sorry it's been so long, but just got the internet back today after soooooo long! but anyway, I've made up for it, I have written quite a bit now!**

* * *

The next day I was escorted to the drugs store with my Winchester entourage, minus Uncle John.

"You do not want to come in here with me right now." I smiled at Dean who rolled his eyes.

"Fine, Sammy can go with you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"You had a girlfriend for a longer time span than a hunt? I'll hazard a guess at that being the case."

"What she said." Dean grinned. "I'm off for food. Usual for you?"

"Sure is." I smiled. "Just make it a large this time. Oh and Dean, if you get me some ice-cream I'll be your bestest friend in the whole world!"

"Fine!" he muttered and ran across the road.

"You don't have to come in Sammy." I smiled but he followed.

"How are you planning on paying for this?"

"I have a bank account that my Mom doesn't know about. I've been saving for years, just for a rainy day." I filled my basket with the necessities.

"The mail, bank statements? How does she not know?" Sam followed me.

"Well, for one thing, she's a law abiding citizen. The other, I have it sent to Danny's address." I smiled and went to the counter. Sam seemed mildly impressed.

"How you paying honey?" the woman asked me.

"Cash please." I smiled and handed her the bill and got my change in seconds. Sam went to carry my bag for me but I raised an eyebrow. "So imagine you dropping that in the street."

"Yeah, I guess." He handed me it back. "So expelled? How you planning on getting to college?"

"Not sure I even want to go. I mean, Mom has a place for me in her business. I just have to tell her about it yet."

"You wish Ruth would let you do that!" he smirked as we waited by the car.

"That I do Sammy. God it's cold! Where's Dean? Uncle John wants us back in a half hour!"

"Hey, I'm here. Took me forever to find the ice-cream in that store!"

"Ben and Jerry's Baked Alaska. You remembered my favourite, I'm impressed Mr Winchester."

"You ought to be." He opened the car and let us in. I sat on the back seat and answered the various texts from Danny as we drove back. When we did arrive, I stealthily placed all of my things in my bag before Uncle John could catch a glimpse and be embarrassed. I had swiped a spoon from the cafeteria the previous day so I took the ice cream and entered the main room with a spoonful in my mouth. I then noticed everything on the walls.

"Wow. Obsessed doesn't being to cover it!" I sat on the edge of the bed.

"So this is it. This is everything I know." John started. "Look, our whole lives we've been searching for this demon, right? Not a trace, just nothing. Until about a year ago. for the first time, I picked up a trail."

"That's when you took off." Dean registered it.

"Yeah, the demon must have come out of hiding or hibernation."

"All right, so what's this trail you found?"

"Starts in Arizona, then New Jersey, California. Houses burned down to the ground. It's going after families, just like it went after us."

"Families with infants?" Sam was asking again.

"Yeah, the night of the kid's six month birthday."

"I was six months old that night?"

"Exactly six months."

"So basically, this demon is going after these kids for some reason? The same way it came for me? So Mom's death...Jessica, it's all cause of me?"

"We don't know that Sam!" Dean attempted to calm him.

I got up and placed the ice cream in the trash, somehow it no longer held an interest for me. I had questions of my own that I wanted answered.

"Oh really? Cause I'd say were pretty damn sure Dean!"

"For the last time....what happened to them is not your fault!"

"Yeah, your right, it's not my fault, but it's my problem!"

"No, it's not, it's our problem!"

"Okay. That's enough!" Uncle John stated and calmness was resumed.

"I have a question." I raised my hand and Uncle John nodded, he knew where I was going with this. "Fires, Mom's dying by being pinned to the ceiling, attacking or doing whatever to kids on their six month birthday."

"What about it?" Dean asked.

"Why was I the odd one out? I mean the demon came after me, pinned my mother to the ceiling, but didn't kill her."

"We got her out in time Mary." Uncle John tried to stop me.

"Hang on, I'm not finished!" I shouted. "Why come for me the second time? Why go to all that trouble of getting caught? He knew you were in the house. Knew I was protected, why risk its neck?" I was calm on my exterior but inside I was ready to snap.

"Right now that's not the issue. The issue is that we need to stop this from happening again." Uncle John tried to stop me in my tracks.

"So why is it doing it? What does it want?" Sam attempted to calm me down by asking questions of his own.

"Look, I wish I had more answers, I do. I've always been on step behind it. Look, I've never gotten there in time to save..." he went silent, remembering all the lives he could have saved.

"Alright, so how do we find it before it hits again?" Dean asked him, attempting to change the subject.

"There are signs. Look, it took me a while to see the pattern...but in the days before these fires, signs crop up in an area. Cattle deaths, temperature fluctuations...electrical storms. And then when I went back and checked, and..."

"These things happened in Lawrence." Dean slowly remembered.

"A week before your mother died. And in Palo Alto...before Jessica."

"And before my sixth birthday..." they looked at me "What? Mom was worried about the BBQ."

"And these signs, they're starting again." John finished.

"Where?" Sam's determination was mirrored in his father's face.

"Salvation, Iowa."

"So I'll get packing." I shrugged and helped Uncle John take down the things off the wall. I waited until Sam and Dean had gone for gas before I asked him something. "How do you know if a person's possessed? I mean...not just days but for years but you've just been wishing they weren't because you love them too much?"

"Why? What's brought this on?" he looked at me concerned and I continued.

"It's just...the whole yellow eyed demon thing. Why leave me and then come back? Why spare my Mom when Aunt Mary..."

"We'll find out I promise you that Mary-Ellen." He hugged me around the shoulders and kissed my temple and let go. "You look like her, you know that right?"

"Yep, Mom thinks it's great. I bet she wishes I was blonde to." I smiled half heartedly. "I know Aunt Mary used to be a hunter back in the day."

"Did your mom tell you that?" he asked me and I nodded.

"Yep, so she's hoping I'll grow out of it like she did. Go to school, graduate, get married and have a couple of kids."

"Can't blame her, I hope you do to. You all do." He went to his bag and pulled out a box. "This was another one of your birthday presents, but I was waiting until Ruth wasn't around to give you it."

"Really? I feel spoilt now!" I smiled and sat on the bed. Uncle John sat next to me and took the box back and opened it.

"It used to belong to your Aunt Mary. It was one of the things we salvaged from the fire." He took the bracelet out and clasped it on my wrist. "It's every protection symbol from every religion and belief in the world. I didn't want to give you it in front of Ruth because..."

"She may have killed you!" I smiled and hugged him. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome. Now come on, let's get going the boy's are here."

"Sure, I'll just go to the bathroom first."

I jumped in the RV ten seconds later and prepared myself for the 670 mile drive to Iowa.

"Did you know Aunt Mary used to be a hunter?" I asked John because I hated the silence in the car.

"No, I guess I didn't. Not until after she passed."

"Who told you? You don't have to tell me, just tell me to get lost if you want." I snuggled into my hood.

"Ha, Ellen actually. The Campbell's knew her husband." He smiled and the phone went in the glove compartment. "Get that for me would you Mary?"

"Sure, no problem." I picked it out and smiled at the name. "Hey Uncle Caleb."

"Mary Ellen. How are you? Last time I saw you, you were ten."

"I know, not a lot changed to be honest. What did you want Uncle John for?"

"Can I speak to him?"

"He's kinda driving, you can tell me." there was a silence on the end of the phone. "Caleb, what is it?"

"Pastor Jim Murphy...he's...."

"What's happened to him? He's okay isn't he?" I couldn't breathe properly.

"He passed away, yesterday."

"No...not Pastor Jim." I handed Uncle John the phone and let the silent tears roll.

I kept thinking about the kind old man who had looked after me and given me my first bible.

Uncle John put the phone down and pulled over abruptly, the Impala following us. He jumped out and I followed.

"God damn it!" he hit the car.

"What is it?" Dean asked with open arms as he saw me crying. I went to him immediately.

"Son of a bitch!"

"What is it?" he asked again as he held onto my head.

"I just got a call from Caleb."

"Is he okay?"

"He's fine." He took a breath. "Jim Murphy's dead."

"Pastor Jim?" Sam asked and John nodded. "How?"

Dean attempted to hush my cries by rubbing my back. "Shh Mary! You don't have to listen to this!"

"Throat was slashed, he bled out. Caleb said they found traces of sulphur at Jim's place."

"A demon?" Dean asked and let go of me "The demon?"

"I don't know. Could be he just got...he got careless, he slipped up. Maybe the demon knows we're

getting close."

"What do you wanna do?" Dean asked him and I wiped my tears away.

"Now, we act like every second counts. There's two hospitals and a health centre in this county. We

split up we cover more ground. I want records. I want a list of every infant that's gonna be six

month's old in the next week."

"Dad, that could be dozens of kids. How the hell are we gonna know which ones the right one?"

"We'll check them all, that's how! You got any better ideas?"

"No, sir." He muttered and we all went to the cars yet Uncle John stopped before getting the car.

"Dad?" Dean asked him in worry.

"Yeah? It's Jim you know, I can't...this ends now! I'm ending it; I don't care what it takes."

He got in the car and held back his tears as I cried them out for us. I played with the bracelet on my wrist.

"Do you want me to wait somewhere?" I asked him, ready and willing to obey him.

"I want you safe Mary. Stay in the car and I'll be back in an hour. If I'm not..."

"Drive home...or to Bobby's?" I asked.

"Bobby's if he'll look after you."

"You're kidding me right? He loves me." I tried to lighten the mood. "Go."

He kissed my head and got out of the car and ran into the hospital. I waited until he was gone before I dialled Danny's number into the phone in my hand.

"Hey," his voice yawned and I relaxed, knowing he wasn't that far away.

"Hey, Danny, it's me." I held in the tears.

"What's wrong Mary? Come on and tell me!" he was worried.

"It's Pastor Jim Murphy. He died, his throat was slashed. They left him to bleed out."

"God! Are you..."

"I fine, just trying to hold it together you know. It was Jim, that guy's known me from being a baby. He christened me and everything."

"Shit!" Danny was fuming. "Do we know what did it?"

"Nope, we think it may have been a demon, but which one...who knows?"

"Do you want me to come and get you?"

"No, I'll be fine; I just needed to hear your voice. It helps me think everything is okay."

"I'm glad it's good for something then!" he tried to smile. "I'm worried for you Mary."

"I'm worried for me Danny." I sighed "I just wish we were normal, the normal family."

"We'll have that, one day, I promise. The house, the dog, the kids, the white picket fence!"

I laughed at him "I'll hold you to that Mr. Singer! Oh God I miss you so much!"

"I miss you to! You need to come home Mary, your mother is going light."

"I know, she phoned me a couple of days ago. I can't face her Danny, not after everything I've put her through these past few months."

"You're still her daughter, she hasn't stopped loving you."

"I know. I still feel like a disappointment to her though...I just wish I was the pompom waving popular kid she deserves."

"Don't you dare put yourself down Mary-Ellen! You're the best thing she has in her life...the best thing I have in my life."

"Ahhh, don't go all soft on me Mr Singer!" I laughed a little.

"That's better." He laughed with me. "I'm coming down there soon enough."

"I don't think Uncle John..."

"I'll stay out of the job don't worry. Do you really think he's going to let you go and face this demon?"

"No. You're right. So you're coming down to keep me company then?"

"I sure am Miss Campbell!"

"I think I need it." I sighed. "You're in for the biggest make out session of your life when you get here. I swear, Chapstick is going to be no help to you!"

"I look forward to that punishment!"

The beep on my phone went, "Danny, I'll call you later, Sammy's trying to get through to me."

"Okay." He answered and put down the phone so I could take the other call.

"Hey Sam, what's wrong?"

"I had a vision. The demon is coming tonight. I know where and who."

"Okay, okay. Uncle John isn't out of the hospital yet Sam. Hang on, we'll meet you back at the motel."

"Hurry Mary!" he begged me.

"I'm hurrying Sammy, don't worry about it!" I pulled the keys out of the ignition and jumped out onto the road before locking the car and running into the hospital.

I found Uncle John without a problem, sitting running over his papers in an office. I knocked on the window and his eye's immediately looked up.

"Open the door!" I mouthed to him and he did as he was told.

"Mary, what is it?" he read the worried look on my face.

"We know where the demon is going to be. It's tonight and I know I sound as crazy as a bedbug but you have to believe me!" I begged him as he held onto my face.

"How do you know?" he stared me down.

"Just believe me, okay! We need you back at the motel now!"

"Okay, I'm coming!" he went and got his coat before we ran to the car and he sped back to the motel.


	33. Chapter 33

"Did you tell him about Sam?" Dean asked me as we met.

"Hell no, I haven't got a death wish Dean!" I muttered back to him. "It's up to you two to do that!"

We went into the room where Sam was sitting rubbing his head.

"Anyone going to tell me what the hell is going on?" John asked and when no-one answered by taking off our coats he looked at me. "No. Mary?"

"I'm not telling you. But I think you'd better sit down to hear it." I shrugged. "Coffee Dean?" I asked him and he nodded.

I went to the kettle and filled two cups with the strongest black liquid I had ever made in my life.

"How do you know where the demons going to be?"

"Sam..." I muttered "You have to tell him." I handed Dean the coffee which he finished instantly. I sat on the window ledge, my feet propped up on a chair.

"Tell me what?" John asked, as he sat on the bed next to Dean's. His hands clasped together, hunched over in a sort of defence poise.

"I have these visions. Things to do with the demon and they always come true."

"A vision?" John asked in disbelief.

"Yes. I saw the demon burning a woman on the ceiling." Sam answered whilst rubbing his head. As if he was trying to get rid of all traces of that memory.

"And you think it's going to happen to this woman you met because..."

"Give me strength." I scoffed. He couldn't get his head around it.

"Because these things happen exactly the way I see them!"

"Yeah," Dean got up to fill his mug again. "They started out as nightmares and then they started happening while he was awake."

"Yeah, it's like...I don't know. It's like the closer I get to anything involving the demon...the stronger the visions get."

"All right." John turned to Dean, looking like he was going to kill something. "When were you gonna tell me about this?"

"We didn't know what it meant." Dean shrugged.

"All right, something like this starts happening to you brother you pick up the phone and call me."

Dean slammed down the cup and looked from Sam to me and back to his father.

"Call you? Are you kidding me? Dad, I called you from Lawrence all right? Sam called you when I was dying! I mean, getting you on the phone? I got a better chance of winning the lottery!"

There was a silence in the room as John took in the fact that over the past few months he'd been a lousy father and abandoned his boys for his own needs.

"You're right. Although I'm not real crazy about this tone of yours, you're right. I'm sorry."

"Look, guys, visions or no visions, the fact is we know this demon is coming tonight. And this family are gonna go through the same hell that we went through."

I got up from my perch and emptied the rest of the coffee into the sink and stood next to it.

"No, they're not. No-one is, ever again." John informed us all as Sam's phone went off. I got a glass of water.

"Hello?" he asked in as tired a voice as he looked. "Who is this?"

We all looked at him, for anyone to get one of our numbers without knowing us spelt trouble.

"Meg? Last time I saw you, you fell out of a window...just your feelings? That was a seven story drop!" his gaze went to his father "My Dad? I don't know where my Dad is."

Uncle John hovered over him and he handed him the phone.

"This is John." He answered gruffly. "I'm here."

The next thing I heard was a man begging Uncle John not to do something.

"Caleb? Caleb. You listen to me, he's got nothing to do with anything. You let him go!"

"Shit!" I sat on the bed and let Dean hug me around the shoulders and I buried myself in his shirt.

"I don't know what you're talking about...Caleb?! Caleb!"

"He's dead, I know he's dead Dean! The bitch killed him!" I tried to shake the image from my head.

"I'm gonna kill you, you know that?"

"She wants the Colt; she wants him to trade the Colt so she'll stop killing everyone. She'll go for my Mom or Bobby next! She's in a Warehouse, in Lincoln she wants him there by midnight! Oh God! He'll not make it out of there!" I had no idea how I knew these things, but I did and it scared me knowing. It would have Dean if he wasn't watching John on the phone.

"Okay...I said, okay. I'll bring you the Colt." He caved in. "It's gonna take me about a day's drive to get there...that's impossible. I can't get there in time and I can't just carry a gun a plane."

He put the phone down and rubbed his head.

"She's a demon, she has to be!" I said out loud. "No way could she have survived that drop."

"She's right."

"So you think Meg is a demon?" Sam asked the obvious.

"Either that, or she's possessed by one. It doesn't really matter."

"What do we do?" Dean asked him and let go of me.

"I'm going to Lincoln." John informed us and I shook my head. Something was planned for him there and he would be lucky if he got out of there at all.

"What?"

"Doesn't seem like I have a choice. If I don't go, a lot of people die. Our friends die!"

"Dad, the demon is coming tonight for Monica and her family. That gun is all we got. You can't just hand it over!"

"Who said anything about handing it over? Look besides us and a couple of vampires, no one's really seen the gun. No-one knows what it looks like."

"Idiot." I muttered under my breath.

"So, what, you're just gonna pick up a ringer at a pawnshop?"

"Antique store." He corrected Dean.

"Does it matter where he gets it, it's gonna land him deep shit!"

"Language and attitude Mary Ellen!" he warned me.

The thought 'you're not my father' went through my head at the point but it wouldn't help me saying it.

"You're gonna hand Meg a fake gun and hope she doesn't notice?" Dean scoffed.

"Look, as long as it's close, she shouldn't be able to tell the difference."

"What happens if she tests it?"

"Yeah, but for how long? What happens when she figures it out?"

"I just—I just need to buy a few hours, that's all."

"You mean for Dean and me? You want use to stay here and kill this demon by ourselves?" Sam worked it out.

"No, Sam!" he was tearing up now. "I wanna stop losing people we love. I want you to go to school. I want—I want Dean to have a home—I want your cousin to have her father back—" he turned to the window. "I want Mary alive. I just—I just want this to be over."

Uncle John sent Dean for the ringer and we waited for him near the highway. He and Sam checked

through the arsenal in the trunk. There was the sound of two cars, not just Kaz, pulling up to greet

us.

"Danny!" I sighed in relief and let him stay next to his car, even though I was fighting the urge to jump on him there and then. Uncle John didn't acknowledge his presence but just nodded at him.

"Did you get it?" he asked Dean.

He reached inside his coat and pulled out a brown paper bag. He immediately gave it to John who pulled it out to examine it and compare it to the original.

"You know this is a trap, don't you? That's why Meg wants you to come alone."

"I can handle her. I got a whole arsenal loaded. Holy water, mandaic amulets..."

"Dad..." Dean interrupted him.

"What?"

"Promise me something."

"What's that?"

"This thing goes south, just get the hell out. Don't get yourself killed, all right? You're no good to us dead."

"Same goes for you. All right, listen to me. They made the bullets special for this Colt. There's only four of them left, and without them, this gun it useless. You make every shot count."

"Yes sir." Sam took Dean's line.

"I've been waiting a long time for this fight. Now it's here and I'm not gonna be in it. It's up to you boys now. It's your fight, you finish this. You finish what I started. You understand?" he handed Dean the Colt. "Danny, you look after her for me."

"I sure will Mr. Winchester." He nodded at him.

"We'll see you soon, Dad."

"I'll see you later." He smiled and I hugged him tighter than I thought possible. "I promise you Mary- Ellen!" he kissed my head and got in the car and drove, to what I feared, might be his death.


	34. Chapter 34

"Danny." Dean nodded at him and Sam actually smiled. "Take Mary back to the Motel for us. Stay until you're sure she's safe."

"I will Dean, don't worry."

"Thanks man." He smiled before hugging me. "He goes any bit too far, tell me and I'll..."

"I get the picture Dean!" I smiled. "It won't happen!" I pulled away. "Go and get the son of a bitch Dean, for all of us!"

"We will don't you worry about that!" he smiled. "Go!"

I went to Danny who ushered me to the car. I sat in silence and let him hold my hand on the gearstick. Running his thumb over my fingers.

"Are you going to carry me into the room?" I teased him and let him lock his mouth on mine. "I'm going away more often!"

"No you're not Mary! You're going nowhere ever again!" he got out of the car and pulled me into his arms. Taking me into the motel room and placing me on the bed. "Now this make out session Miss Campbell!"

"Oh, I did promise didn't I?" I beamed but the tears went.

"Oh come here Mary!" he smiled and pulled me against him on the bed. "I know your worried, but John and the boys, their going nowhere!"

"You don't know that Danny! I don't want them to die! I couldn't cope!" I snuggled into him and kissed his neck. "I don't want to lose you at all!" My legs went either side of him.

"No...Mary..." he told me between kisses. "I'm not doing this when you're upset!"

"Please Danny!" I pulled my over shirt off and my vest top. "You can't deny me this!"

I bit my lip as he ran his hands over my rib cage. He placed me back on the bed and kissed me on the tummy and up to my neck.

"Oh God!" I smiled. "I love you! So much for waiting until I hit eighteen, we are five months away!"

"I know, I know! He kissed my mouth. "I underestimated you!"

"Mmm, I think you did." I grinned as he lay in-between my legs and the friction grew. "Oh shit!" I smiled uncertainly at the new feeling. The sounds of AC/DC began on a phone somewhere, my phone.

"No way!" I muttered and reached for it. I showed Danny the number.

"I would do the same if I had a hot little sister to look after!" he kissed my nose and got up.

"Dean." I answered the phone. "Thanks for that!"

"Well Sam saw you might be up to no good!" he scolded me and Sam laughed.

"No, I told him to leave you to get on with it!"

"Thank you Sam!" I shouted back.

"I just wanted you to be ready."

"You lying little toe rag Dean!" I ran my hands through my hair. I smiled as Danny pulled his shirt on and threw me my short pyjamas. "How's it going?"

"Nothing is happening at the moment. Much the same at your end?"

"Well, it is now! I'm being told to go to sleep in Danny's own way!"

"What way?"

"He threw the most unattractive pair of pyjamas I own at me."

"I like his style."

"Dean."

"Yeah?"

"Be careful, don't do anything stupid, or let Sam do anything stupid."

"I promise. Good night Mary."

"Night Dean." I put the phone down and pulled my pyjamas on. I'd just almost bared all to Danny anyway.

"Come here." He patted the bed and I snuggled up against him. "We have all the time in the world to do what we almost did! I don't want your first time to be in some crummy motel!"

"Neither do I to be honest!" I shrugged as I played with his shirt. "Stay until I fall asleep please."

"I will, I always do!"

"Yep, Edward Cullen eat your heart out because you have nothing on Danny Singer!"

"I'm glad to hear it!"

Sam and Dean entered the Motel room just as I was drifting off into a restless sleep. Danny was back at Bobby's. Helping him out with a bunch of mechanical things. He'd left as soon as he thought I was safe in dreamland for me only to wake up ten minutes after he left.

"Did you do it?" I asked them but by the looks on their faces, I knew they hadn't. "Shit!"

"Has Dad been on the phone?" Dean asked me as Sam sat on the bed in a worse mood than his older brother.

"No he hasn't." I shook my head and he took out his cell to try and reach him. "Sam?"

"What?" he was short and snappy, like his dad got when he was obsessed by something.

"Fine, I won't ask if you're okay!" I got up and went to make myself a coffee.

"Come on, Dad. Answer your phone, damn it!" he shut it closed. "Something's wrong." He turned to Sam when he didn't get the reaction he wanted. "You hear me? Something's happened!"

"If you had just let me go in there...I could have ended all this."

"Oh Jesus!" I muttered and ran my hands through my hair. This was going to get ugly.

"Sam, the only thing you were gonna end was your life!"

"You don't know that!"

"So, what, you're just willing to sacrifice yourself, is that it?"

"Yeah, yeah you're damn right I am!" he rose from his perch on the bed, his eyes read that he was ready to throw himself into hell if it meant killing the demon.

"Yeah well, that's not gonna happen. Not as long as I'm around!"

"What the hell are you talking about Dean? We've been searching for this demon our whole lives. It's the only thing we've ever cared about!"

"Sam, I wanna waste it, I do, okay? But it's not worth dying over!"

"What?!"

"I mean it! If hunting this demon means you getting yourself killed, then I hope we never find the damn thing!"

"That thing killed Jess! That thing killed mom!"

"You said it yourself once that no matter what we do, they're gone! And they're never coming back!"

Sam was too quick for either of us to stop him. He pinned Dean against the wall and help him by the t-shirt and refusing to let go.

"Don't you say that! Not you! Not after all this! Don't you say that!"

"Sam! Stop it!" I screamed at him and smashed the mug into the sink. I couldn't cope with the breakdown of the Winchester boys and the possible death of Uncle John all in one night.

"Sam, look, the four of us, that's all we have. And it's all I have. Sometimes I feel like I'm barely holding it together man. And without you or dad or Mary I..."

A realisation hit Sam, he might never see his father again. He let go of Dean and ran his hands through his hair. "Dad. He should've called by now. Try him again!"

I sat on the bed and buried my head in my knees, praying to God that he was okay and would pick up that phone to tell us where he was.

There was silence in the room as we waited for Dean to speak the words 'Dad, where are you?' but he didn't. A set of words we never wanted to hear passed through his lips.

"Where is he?"


	35. Devils Trap

That phone call for all it was short seemed to last a life time as Dean muttered the words 'Where is he?' Our whole lives seemed to crash around us.

"They've got Dad!" he tried to make the connection in his head that he never really said goodbye to his father.

"Meg? What'd she say?" Sam asked.

I got out of bed and pulled my jeans from the floor and over shirt. I pulled them on under my huge t-shirt and ran to the bathroom to quickly change the shirts over.

"I just told you Sammy! Okay, okay!" Dean was panicking as he put the Colt in his jeans so it was hidden.

"What are you doing Dean?"

"We gotta go!" he answered and threw things into his bag. I followed suit and thanked God I had never taking my mother's advice on unpacking my suitcase properly.

"Because the demon knows we're in Salvation, all right! It knows we've got the Colt. It's got Dad! It's probably coming for us next!"

"Good! We've still got three bullets left! Let it come!" Sam stood still as we rushed about the room. I shook my head.

"Listen, tough guy, we're not ready! We don't know how many of them are out there! Now were no good to anybody dead! So listen to your brother, we're leaving! Now!" I threw his duffle bag off him.

We threw everything in the boot, not leaving a trace of us behind and threw ourselves into the Impala. Dean drove like a maniac and I wasn't going to ask him where we were going. For once I was going to do as I was told to do. Sam on the other hand, had very different ideas.

"I'm telling you Dean, we could've taken them!"

"What we need is a plan. Now they're probably keeping Dad alive. We just gotta figure out where. They'll wanna trade him for the gun!" Dean was trying to be optimistic as Sam shook his head "What?"

"Dean, if that we're true why didn't Meg mention a trade? Dad, he might be..."

"Shut up Sammy!" I growled.

"Don't..."

"Look, I don't wanna believe it any more than you...but if he is, all the more reason to kill this damn thing! We still have the Colt! We can still finish the job!"

"That's really all your thinking about! Screw the job Sam!" I shouted at him.

"I'm just trying to do what he'd want! He'd want us to keep going!"

"Would you stop talking about him like he's dead already?" I argued with Sam.

"Stop it, the two of you! Everything stops until we get him back! You understand me?"

We both nodded in agreement, not looking at one another.

"So how do we find him?" Sam broke the silence.

"We go to Lincoln. Start at the warehouse where he was taken."

"Come on Dean! You really think those demons are gonna leave a trail?"

"Your right. We need help!"

"Uncle Bobby it is then!" I found his number in my phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey Uncle Bobby, its Mary Ellen." I stayed calm on the phone line.

"Okay, what is it?"

"We need help, Sam and Dean and I..."

"What happened?"

"They were hunting the yellow eyed demon and John was on a job on his own. Anyway, he's missing, another demon has him and we need to figure something out before we go charging!"

"Okay, I'm ready for the Winchester clan. How far out are you?"

"About three hours at the rate Dean is driving."

"Don't worry Mary Ellen, we'll find him, even if I do hate him at the moment!"

"Fair enough." I put the phone down. "He's okay with it. Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"Drive faster."

He did as he was told as his foot hit the accelerator.

I practically flew out of the car and into Danny's arms. He caught me without a second thought.

"I'm so sorry Mary!" He kissed my head. "We'll find him, you know we will!" he repeated the action and took me into the house after the boys.

He sat me in a chair and like clockwork went to the kitchen and made me a cup of tea.

"Move." He muttered and I did as I was told only to be pulled back onto his knees.

"Thank you for this and for last night!" I shrugged.

"No problem Mary!" he smiled and played with my hair. I placed the tea on the floor next to the chair and snuggled into him.

"Do your mom and dad know your here?"

"Mmmhmm." he buried his mouth in my hair. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"So the threats came true? They kicked you out because of Uncle Bobby?"

"Yep. Said I can go and stay with him if I like it so much. They disowned me."

"I'm so sorry Danny! When did this happen?"

"Just after you went to Colorado."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to worry you, you have enough on your plate with the Winchesters." He smirked as did I. "Your back now, that's all that counts!"

"I'm back for good once we find him. The white Picket fence is sounding like heaven at the moment."

"Considering it used to be your idea of hell, I'm thinking you're growing up a bit!"

"Cheeky!" I hit him.

"Oh, you wanna play dirty now?" he tickled my sides.

"Stop it! Danny, I mean it!" I screamed but still let him kiss me under the glare of Dean and the smiles of Sam.

"Hey, you two, quit the conoodling on my chair!" Bobby warned us and hit both of our heads. "Here you go." He handed Dean a flask.

"What is this, holy water?"

"You'll need it Dean." I scolded him for being ungrateful and he scowled.

"That one is. This is whiskey." Bobby took a drink before handing it to Dean who took a swig without a second thought.

"Bobby, thanks. Thanks for everything. To tell you the truth, I wasn't sure if we should come."

"Nonsense, your daddy needs help."

"Yeah, but the last time we saw you, I mean you did threaten to blast him full of buck shot. You cocked the shotgun and everything."

I looked at Danny who nodded so I knew it was true. He kissed me on the head and let me snuggle into him.

"Yeah, well, what can I say? John just has that effect on people."

"Yeah I guess he does."

"None of that matters now! All that matters is that you get him back." He smiled at Dean.

"Bobby, this book...I've never seen anything like it." Sam, in usual geeky form, was sitting at the table looking at various demon traps.

"Key of Solomon? It's the real deal, all right."

"Knows his stuff does Uncle Bobby." I got up and let Daniel geek out with Sam.

"And these, these protective circles, they really work?"

Danny looked over Sam's shoulder.

"Hell yeah, you get a demon in one, they're trapped. Powerless. It's like a satanic roach motel." Danny answered in place of Bobby, I forget how much alike they could be.

"Man knows his stuff." Dean looked impressed, even though he tried to hide it.

"I'll tell you something else too." Bobby began; I knew the lecture was coming. "This is some serious crap you boys stepped in, dragged Mary into."

"Uncle Bobby, please don't!" I muttered and rubbed my head.

"Oh, yeah? How's that?"

"Normal year, I hear of say, three demonic possessions. Maybe four tops."

"Yeah?" Dean urged him.

"This year, I heard of twenty seven so far. You get what I'm saying? More and more demons are walking among us. A lot more."

"Do you know why?" Sam butted in.

"No, but I know it's something big. Storms coming and you boys, Mary and your Daddy, you are smack in the middle of it."

The dog outside the house began to bark out loud, he never did that, not even when a stranger came. We went to the window, he wasn't there and the barking stopped.

"Shit." I muttered.

"Rumsfeld! What is it? Something's wrong!" Bobby panicked.  
"I'll go..." Danny went for the door but it kicked open knocking him to the ground.

"No more crap, okay?" Meg spat at us.

Dean, like the idiot, unscrewed the cap on the holy water and tries to throw it but Meg got there first and threw him into a pile of books, knocking him out.

"Dean!" I screamed for him but Sam held me back, protecting me behind him as we backed off.

"I want the Colt Sam. The real Colt, right now!"

"We don't have it on us. We buried it." He lied through his teeth.

"Didn't I say no more crap? I swear after everything I heard about you Winchesters I gotta tell you, I'm a little underwhelmed. First Johnny tries to pawn off a fake gun and then he leaves the real gun with you two chuckleheads. Lacklustre man. I mean, did you really think I wouldn't find you?"

Dean and Danny appeared behind Meg.

"Actually, we we're counting on it." Dean smiled and looked up, Megs head followed quickly.

"Gotcha." Danny finished for him.

Sam and Dean tied Meg up whilst Bobby salted all the doors and windows. Danny stood protectively next to me, not wanting me to see too much or get hurt by anything.

"You know, if you wanted to tie me up, all you had to do was ask." She grinned at the boys and I felt like launching at her and pulling her hair out.

Bobby interrupted that train of thought and my possible actions by coming into the room, salt can in his hands.

"I salted the doors and windows. If there are any demons out there, they ain't getting in." he assured us. Dean nodded to him in recognition before moving to interrogate Meg. I had never seen a person so determined and pissed off in all my life.

"Where's our father, Meg?" he asked her and she smirked.

"You didn't ask very nice."

"Where's our father, bitch?"

"Jeez, you kiss your mother with that mouth? Oh, I forgot. You don't."

"Bad move Meg." I muttered as Dean was riled up beyond all belief.

"Hey, you think this is a frigging game?" he stood over her, in her face. "Where is he? What did you do to him?"

"He died screaming. I killed him myself!"

At that point he snapped and backhanded Meg across the face with such a force I was sure my Mom would have heard it in Chicago.

"Dean!" I pleaded with him. She was still a girl.

"That's kind of a turn on, you hitting a girl!" she smiled.

"You're no girl!" he spat at her.

"Dean." Bobby muttered to him and the boys left.

I sat watching her, waiting for her to try and escape but she didn't she turned to speak to me.

"You're Mary Ellen Campbell, right?"

"You know I am." I avoided her gaze.

"How's your mother?" she grinned.

"What do you mean?" I looked at her. "If you've hurt her, I swear..."

"Mary, don't listen to her!" Danny urged me. "Come away."

"I couldn't hurt your mother if I tried. She's too strong for me."

"My mother isn't a hunter." I looked at her "What do you mean?"

"Think, the day you turned six. The Winchester clan were there, Uncle John on the BBQ. The demon came again. Your mother came to save you...and..."

"How do you know all of this?" Dean asked her.

"The black smoke." I muttered to myself.

"What?" Sam looked at me.

"It's been my nightmare my whole life. When Mom save me, the black smoke came, surrounded her and disappeared. I thought it was a dream!" I ran my hands through my hair.

"That's right, you see, in way, were sisters you and me. My mom is your mom."

"You're telling me that her mother is a demon?"

"Possessed for, I'd guess, eleven years now."

"You're lying!" I went for her and Dean pulled me back. "She's lying Dean, she has to be lying!" I screamed and let the tears go as he held me to him.

"That's right; my mother abandoned me for you! Brought you up instead of me you ungrateful little bitch!" she screamed at me.

"We'll help Aunt Ruth, I promise you, okay?" he asked me with his hands on my face. "We're going to deal with her first!" he nodded at Danny who took me in his arms.


	36. Chapter 36

Sam produced John's diary and I knew what would happen now. They would exorcise her, until she talked.

"You gonna read me a story?" she smirked still.

"Something like that. Hit it, Sam." Dean urged him on and he started reading the Latin.

"An exorcism? Are you serious?"

"Oh, we're going for it, baby. Head spinning, projectile vomiting, the whole nine yards!" Dean assured her, Sam halted for a split second and Meg shuddered, it was working.

"I'm gonna kill you! I'm gonna rip the bones from your body!"

"No, you're gonna burn in hell. Unless you tell us where our Dad is!" he asked and she stayed silent. "Well at least you'll get a nice tan." He looked at Sam who started again.

Her body began to shake uncontrollably, like the human inside was trying to get out and be free. She moaned again and Sam took it as a cue to stop.

"He begged for his life with tears in his eyes! He begged to see his sons one last time! That's when i slit his throat!"

She'd riled Sam now, so much so, that he read without the order from his elder brother.

"For your sake, I hope you're lying. Because if it's true, I swear to God, I will march into Hell myself and I will slaughter every one of you evil sons of bitches, so help me God!"

The wind drove through the house and rustled the pages on the book. We knew this was a big deal to exorcise this demon, it would come back to haunt us in the end.

"Where is he?" Dean asked her again.

"You just won't take dead for an answer will you?" she looked like she was becoming exhausted now. Hopefully she would cave soon enough.

"Where is he?!"

"Dead!" she shouted back in his face.

"No, he's not! He is not dead! He can't be!" Dean had broken into desperation and then he turned to Sam who had stopped. "What are you looking at? Keep reading."

Sam did as he was told and Meg let out an ear bursting scream and the chair began to move on its own accord around the Devil's trap.

"He will be!" she shouted as it stopped in the middle of the circle.

"Woa, wait!" he shouted and Sam stopped. "What?" he turned on Meg again.

"He's not dead! But he will be after what we do to him."

"How do we know you're telling the truth?"

"You don't!" she tried to be sarcastic again, even though it got her nowhere.

"Sam!" he shouted.

"A building, okay?! A building in Jefferson City!"

"Missouri? Where, where? An address?"

"I don't know!" she begged.

"And the demon the one we're looking for? Where is it?"

"I don't know! I swear! That's everything! That's all I know!"

"Finish it!" Dean was being as callous as any demon we had ever met.

"What? I told the truth!"

"I don't care!" he shouted back at her shortly.

"You son of a bitch, you promised!"

"I lied! Sam! Read!"

"Maybe we can still use her. Find out where the demon is." Sam urged his older brother.

"She doesn't know!"

"She lied!"

"Sam, there's an innocent girl trapped somewhere in there and we've gotta help her!"

"You're gonna kill her Dean." I corrected him.

"What?"

"You said she fell from a building. That girls body is broken. The only thing keeping her alive is that demon inside. You exorcise it, the girl is gonna die." Bobby explained for me.

"Listen to me, all of you! We are not gonna leave her like that!"

"She's a human being!" Bobby begged him.

"And we're gonna put her out of her misery! Sam, finish it! Finish it!" he told him.

Sam did as he was told, none of us prepared for the reaction we got from this. the demon screamed as it left her and was sent back to the hell hole it came from. Danny held me to him as I covered my ears.

"Dean, I think..."

"She's still alive! Call 911! Get some water and blankets!"

Danny left to call 911 and I help Sam and Dean untie her.

"Thank you." She muttered, the blood pouring from her mouth.

"Shhh, shhh, shhh! Just take it easy, all right? Shh!" Sam hushed her.

"Come on, let's, let's get her down!" each of them took a leg. She moaned in pain "Sorry. Sorry, sorry!" Dean apologised and placed her on the floor. I placed her head on my knees.

"A year." She added.

"What?" Sam asked her.

"It's been a year!" she informed us.

"God!" I muttered to her.

"Just take it easy!" Sam added to her, trying to comfort her.

"I've been awake for some of it. I couldn't move my own body and things looked...it...it's a nightmare!"

"Was it telling us the truth about our parents?" Dean asked her for the two of us.

"Dean!" Sam scolded him.

"We need to know!"

"Yes. But it wants you to know. That, they want you to come for him." She warned him.

"If Dad's still alive, none of that matters!"

Bobby came in with the blankets and water. I took the blanket off him and as they propped Meg up to make her drink I placed the blanket on the floor for her head. Forming a makeshift pillow to rest on.

"Where is the demon we're looking for?" Sam was getting greedy for information and I glared at him.

"Not there. Other ones, awful ones."

"Where are they keeping our Dad?"

"By the riv...River. Sunrise!" she muttered her last words for us and I knew she'd gone.

"Sunrise? What does that mean? What does that mean?"

"Dean, she's gone." I informed him and let him hug me.

"Are you okay?" he asked me.

"No, not really. I have to go and save my Mom Dean. I can't leave her like that!"

"We'll save you Mom, just as soon as we..." Sam trailed off when he saw my eyes narrow.

"No, you go and find Uncle John...I'll take Danny...."

"I'll go with you Mary." Bobby smiled and I nodded.

"Go and find him Dean, don't bring him back dead...I don't think..." I let the tears roll down my face.

"He'll be fine, I promise, we'll drive through Chicago to get you! I promise!" he kissed me on the head.

"Er, you better hurry up and beat it before the paramedics get here." Bobby ushered them to the door.

"What are you gonna tell them?" Dean asked.

"You think you guys invented lying to the cops? I'll figure something out. Here, take this," he handed Sam the Key of Solomon "you might need it." He smiled.

"Thanks."

"Thanks for everything. Be careful, all right?" Dean aimed the last bit at me as Danny held onto me.

"You just go find your Dad. And when you do, you bring him around, would you? I won't even try to shoot him this time."

The boys left us and Bobby ushered me and Danny up the stairs and told us to be quiet. I would have no problem with that as I contemplated how the hell I was going to get around the task of exorcising the demon that had possessed my mother for the past eleven years of her life. Danny silent held me to him, stopping any sort of tears that might pass from my eyes.

The police came and went, taking the body of Meg Masters with them. Leaving me and whoever I could get to help to deal with my Mom.

"You can come down now!" Bobby shouted and we went down the stairs. "Mary."

"Bobby." I shrugged. "How are we gonna do this? If she is anything like Meg, it won't be easy."

He was taken aback by how cold I was being around the subject, but to show any emotion, that would kill me even more.

"I'll call Ellen. She's wanted to catch up with Ruth for weeks. She wants to expand the bar..."

"Fat chance of that happening now!" I smirked. "Would you..."

"Yes. I will." He smiled and hugged me awkwardly. "Come on, let's get this over with! I'll just throw some stuff in a bag."

"Come on Mary." Danny smiled at me sweetly and kissed me before leading me to the car.

"How could I not know?" I asked as I looked out of the window on the way home. We were nearing my house. "How could I not know my own mother was possessed?"

"She's been in Ruth for eleven years Mary, even your Uncle John didn't notice. No-one noticed."

"But it all makes sense now Danny. Every time I've been in danger is when she's been gone. Whenever she's been away on business trouble finds me. That time in Oasis Plains, last year, she left me to be eaten by bugs!"

"Maybe, in a way, the demon was protecting you. I mean, Meg did say she left her to look after you."

"Cut the sympathy for the devil crap Danny." I snapped and rubbed my head. "I'm sorry! I know you're just trying to help me out!" I kissed his cheek in repentance. "If it was protecting me, I don't want to know why."

"Maybe it's the same deal with you as it is with Sam. The whole Demon, six month thing."

"Mmmm." I bit my thumb nail. "I wish it weren't. No point in that now though." I sighed as we pulled up on the opposite side of the street. "She's not home."

I went for the car door handle but Danny touched my hand lightly which caused me to stop and turn to him.

"Mary, are you sure about this demon thing?"

"If she isn't possessed it won't hurt her. Just make her royally pissed off. She'll get over it...in a couple of weeks...I need to do this Danny. And I need you to help me do this."

"I will. You know I will Mary!" he kissed me on the mouth before following me into the house.

"Where the hell are we gonna draw this Devil's trap?" I muttered as I took the white paint from under the sink. Mom had always kept it in there for when she wanted to do the cupboards.

"In the longue, on the ceiling probably. That's where you usually sit when you have company." Danny shrugged. "Here." He took the paint can off me. "I'm taller than you are anyway."

"Where's Sam when you need him?" I smiled. "I'll go get the holy water. I have some hidden in the closet." I went to the one under the stairs which led to the basement. The basement had been Mom's office years ago but now it was an empty shell. In which she kept old clothes and toys of mine. I found the holy water hidden inside the old teapot that had been my great grandmothers. Mom would not be seen dead to use it, never mind own it. I hid it in my jeans pocket before I felt my phone vibrate.

"Hey Ellen." I left the room and closed the door before going to the sofa. Uncle Bobby was there, sorting out the Devil's trap, making sure it was perfect. "How are you?"

"I'm fine Jo."

'Jo?' I thought about it and realised that she was with my mother, in a car it sounded like.

"I need you to run to the store for chips, it closes in fifteen minutes so you need to get there before then."

"Okay, no problem."

"Love you darling."

"Thank you Ellen." I put the phone down. "Fifteen minutes" I informed them.

"Well, were sorted in here. You had better make it look like you've unpacked a bit." Bobby smiled.

"I'll go to the car and get some of you stuff." Danny smiled and went outside.

"I hope I'm right about this." I muttered.

"She'll only be pissed off if you're not Mary. You won't stop being her daughter for doing this!" he smiled gruffly at me. "Have you got a beer?"

"Mmhmm, there should be some in the fridge." I shrugged and he went. He came back and handed one to me. "Oh, I don't like it! Dean used to try to make me drink it when I was younger. I got drunk once...hangover...Uncle John kicked his ass. I was so ill...it wasn't pretty!"

"I can imagine!" he smirked. "I'll give to Danny."

"He's like a son to you isn't he?"

"The only kid I'll ever have or know. My wife..."

"You don't have to tell me Bobby, not right now anyway." I smiled gently at him as Danny came through the door and dumped my bag next to the door, the laptop on the coffee table and my holdall on the sofa.

"Thankyou." I hugged him. "Bobby has a beer for you." I kissed him and pulled away.

"Just what I needed!" he took it off him and took a mouthful. I moved under the Devil's trap, it was next to the fire, so she would think I was just trying to get warm.

The door opened to reveal my Mom talking to Ellen. Chatting like there was nothing wrong with her. She turned and practically ran to me when she saw me. Danny hid the beer behind him as did Bobby.

"Mary- Ellen!" she cried on as she grasped me to her. "Don't you dare do that to me again! I thought something might have happened...or...oh thank goodness your okay!"

"I know, and I'm sorry Mom!" I grasped onto her, taking in her scent.

"It's okay baby! Your here now, that's all that matters!"

"I'm so so sorry Mommy!" I pulled away from her and went to Danny.

"What is it? You're not...you know..."

"Oh, God no Mrs. Campbell!" Danny sighed and tried to laugh it off.

She flinched. The name of God would make any demon do that.

"Then what is it..." she tried to move, but she couldn't. "Mary...what have you..." she looked up at the ceiling.

"Like I said, I'm sorry." I looked at her with tear filled eyes.


	37. Chapter 37

"You let me out Mary! You let me out now!" she shouted.  
"No. Because you're not my mom!" I screamed at her.

"You ungrateful little bitch! I've been your mother for the past ten years! Put up with your whining, your perfect grades, your slaughtering! For what, for you to send me back to hell? I don't think so!"

"Leave her alone you bitch!" Ellen hugged me against her. "You don't have to stay for this honey!" she whispered to me. "You can go!"

"No, I want to stay Ellen."

"Stop being brave! Let Danny take care of you!"

"Okay." I smiled and went to go up the stairs.

"Oh, you haven't even got the decency to do it yourself! All you Winchesters are just the same!"

"For one, I'm not a Winchester. And another thing, you don't deserve for me to do it! I just watched your daughter being sent back to hell!"

"Who, Fly?" she looked like she may actually cry.

"No, the other one, Meg!"

"You little bitch!" she screamed. "

"What was your plan? Why look after me?"

"No, my plan was to get rid of you and then she could have your pretty body, then we were going to tear the hunters down one by one! They all trust and cherish you! It would have been flawless. But the Winchesters kept showing up, or Danny or anyone who could get in the way!"

"Come on Mary." Danny whispered and I let him pick me up. "We'll know when it's over!"

He took me upstairs and lay with me on the bed whilst I cried it all out. Not understanding half of what had happened or why it had.

"You'll be fine! I'm here now! When that demon is gone, Ruth will come back!"  
"But I don't know her Danny! I know the demon inside her, not my actual mother!" I cried and he held me closer. The whole house shook. It had taken a lot less time than it had with Meg. But we weren't interrogating my Mom, we just wanted her safe and alive.

We came down the stairs to find her lying on the sofa, looking tired and worn, a blanket over her legs. I ran to her and sat next to the sofa.  
"Mary!" she smiled and kissed me on top of the head as I had my forehead on her hands.

"I'm sorry Mom! I should have known!"

"No, you couldn't have sweetie!" she moved my head up to look at her. "Listen to me! I'm so very proud of you! You have no idea how much I've loved the woman you've become! I've been there for some of it!" she smiled tiredly with tears in her eyes. "I want you to...to..." she coughed and Ellen handed her some water.

"What Mom? What do you want me to do?"

"Go to your Uncle John! He'll look after you!" she beamed. "And I want you to have everything, the house, the car..." she laughed as did I. "the company. It's all in my will anyway. I've had it written since you were five!"

"Mom, you're going to be okay aren't you?" I asked her.

"I'm so very tired Mary. Exhausted with life. The demon, she's worn my body through. I can't go on any longer! I'm just glad to see you one last time!" she beamed as I silently cried. She beckoned me so she could whisper. "I like Danny! He'll be a good husband and father! Trust me!" she hesitated. "John knows who your father is! He'll tell you when the time is right!" she kissed my cheek and she dropped.

"Mom!" I looked at her body, limp and lifeless on the sofa. "Mom, come on! Please, Mom!" I screamed and Danny pulled me away into his arms.

"She's gone Mary! I'm so sorry!" he held me. "I'm so sorry!"

"I need Dean!" I begged him and he pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialled Dean.

"Winchester, it's Danny. Have you found...yeah...Mary needs you...it's..." I took the phone from him.

"Dean!" I sobbed.

"Mary, what is it?" he was worried.  
"Meg...she was right....and Mom...she didn't pull though!" I sobbed "I killed her Dean. I may as well have taken the Colt and blown her brains through!"

"I'm coming now, we're on our way! Hold on for me!"

"I'm not going anywhere. My things are still packed." I nodded as Danny took them to the door. "Please hurry Dean!"

"We're coming into Chicago now!" he informed me and put the phone down.  
"I'm sorry Danny, I have to go with them! John's the only parent I have left!"

"I know that." He smiled and held me on last time. "You'll be safer with Sam and Dean! We'll sort this out with the police! When you come back, it'll all be sorted out!"

"I love you!" I buried my head in his shirt.

"I love you too!" he kissed me head and I heard the front door open and close.

"Mary?" Dean asked, breathless before he touched my shoulder. I went to him without a second thought. "Come on, I've got you know!"

I nodded against him. "How's Uncle John?"

"He's fine, what could beat him?" he smiled trying to lighten the mood. "We have to go! We don't know if we were followed or what." He apologised to me. "Danny, get her bags for me?"

He did as he was told without a second thought and took them to the car. "Come on half pint!" he picked me up and I buried myself in his jacket. "Thanks Bobby."

"Anytime Dean. You look after her!" he warned.

"I will. Take care." He took me to the car and placed me in the front seat.

Danny stood there and I let him kiss me goodbye before he shut the door. He placed his hand on the window and said goodbye in his own way as my fingers touched the tips of his through the rain marked glass. Dean pulled out of the driveway and pushed the car as fast as it would go to the middle of nowhere.


	38. Chapter 38

I sat crossed legged on the table, waiting for Sam to finish salting the windows and for Dean to emerge to tell me that Uncle John was feeling okay and was going to pull through this. I had never thought I would ever lose my Mom like this and if Uncle John was the next one to go in such a short space of time I wouldn't have thought I could survive it.

Dean appeared from the other room, wiping his hands on a cloth.

"How is he?" Sam's voice split the silence with the question we both wanted answering.

"He just needed a little rest, that's all. How are you?" he asked back

"I'll survive." He muttered

"Mary?" he looked at me with apprehension.

"I'll live through it." I smiled and quickly wiped my tears away. I let Sam quickly hug me and kiss my head. I was taking a back a little; he'd never been like this with me in my whole life.

"Hey, you don't think we were followed here, do you?" Sam asked.

"I don't know. I don't think so. I mean, we couldn't have found a more out-of-the way place to hole up."

"Yeah. Hey, er, Dean, you...erm, you saved my life back there." It was awkward for Sam to try and thank anyone, never mind his brother.

"So I guess you're glad I brought the gun, huh?" he grinned his usual cheeky grin.

"Man, I'm trying to thank you here."

"You're welcome. Hey Sam?" he sat on the table with me.

"Yeah?"

"You know that guy I shot? There was a person in there."

"No, Dean, you can't blame yourself for that!" I comforted him.

"Mary's right, you didn't have a choice Dean."

"Yeah, I know. That's not what bothers me."

"Then what does?" Sam pressed him for an answer, not wanting to let this one lie.

"Killing that guy, killing Meg, I didn't hesitate. I didn't even flinch. I mean, for you or Mary, or Dad, the things I'm willing to do, or kill it's just...it scares me sometimes."

"It shouldn't. You did good!" A gruff voice I'd been waiting to hear came from the one person I never wanted to die or leave me.

"Uncle John!" I smiled and went to him without a second thought.

"Hey Mary!" he hugged me to him. "I told you I'd come back for you!"

I nodded against him and let the tears roll, the smell of his shirt comforting me.

"You're not mad?" Dean stood confused for a moment.

"For what?"

"Using a bullet." Dean clarified for use.

"Mad? I'm proud of you! You know, Sam and I, we can get pretty obsessed. But you...you...you watch out for this family. You always have!"

There was a silence in the room; Dean was weighing something up before muttering a 'thanks.'

At that point, the lights in the room started to flicker on and off. I pulled away from Uncle John and waited for my orders, even though I knew I would not get any from him.

He darted for the window, three of us following him without a question.

"It found us. It's here."

"The demon?" Sam asked the obvious.

"No, dipshit, it's jolly old St. Nick!" I pushed him on the shoulder.

"Sam, lines of salt. In front of every window, every door."

"I already did it." He added proudly.

"Well, check it. Okay?"

"Okay." Sam nodded and followed out his orders.

"Dean, you got the gun?"

"Yeah."

"Give it to me." he added without even looking at him.

"Dad, Sam tried to shoot the demon in Salvation and it vanished." He explained the predicament.

"This is me. I won't miss. Now, the gun. Hurry!"

Dean wasn't going to do it. Something was up. For one thing, Uncle John had never let me get away with using any sort of curse word, especially against his sons. The other, he was being too polite to Dean for it to be considered normal.

"Son, please." He begged.

That was defiantly not Uncle John and I knew it. He never said please he just told and it was done. Dean held out his hand and I took it, letting him guard me with his body. I held onto his shirt as we backed off from whatever it was that stood in the form of Uncle John.

"Give me the gun. What are you doing Dean?"

"He'd be furious."

"What?"

"That I wasted a bullet. He wouldn't be proud of me. he'd tear me a new one." He cocked the gun at his father. "You're not my Dad."

"Dean, its me." he muttered. "Mary, give the Gun." He begged me now and I shook my head.

"I know my Dad better than anyone and you ain't him."

"What the hell's gotten into you?"

"I could ask you the same thing. Stay back!"

"Dean your sure?" I asked him and he nodded to me and squeezed my fingers in his free hand.

"Dean. What the hell's going on?" Sam asked. This was the last scenario he had ever thought he would be faced with. His brother shooting his father whom he doted on with all he had.

"Your brother's lost his mind."

"He's not Dad." Dean tried to convince himself.

"What?"

"I think he's possessed. I think he's been possessed since we rescued him."

"Don't listen to him Sammy."

"Dean, how do you know?"

"He's...he's different."

"You know, we don't have time for this. Sam, you wanna kill this demon, you gotta trust me. Sam!"

"No, No." Sam muttered and stood with me behind Dean.

"Fine, you're all so sure. Go ahead. Kill me." He goaded us into doing it.

"No, Dean. You can't." I muttered to him. I got through and Dean lowered the gun from his father's body. John bowed his head, but as soon as he looked up, we would have been right to have shot him. Those yellow eyes that had been part of my nightmares for so long were there in that room.

"I thought so." He mocked and knocked the gun from Dean's hand and each of us flew to a wall, away from each other.

"God no!" I muttered and tried to get down, but I was held fast to the wall behind me. Unable to help anyone. The demon picked up the gun in his hands and smirked at us all.

"What a pain in the ass this thing's been." He smiled.

"It's you, isn't it? We've been looking for you for a long time." Sam was fuming.

"Well you found me."

"But the holy water." Sam questioned.

"You're serious? Holy water was all you tried?" I rolled my eyes.

"You should listen to little Mary, she isn't just a pretty face! You think something like that works on something like me?"

Sam still struggled against it and tried to get off the wall. "I'm gonna kill you!" he shouted.

"Oh, that would a neat trick. In fact here." He placed the gun on the table. "Make the gun float to you there, physic boy. You know, this is fun. I could've killed you a hundred times today, but this,this is worth the wait..." he turned to Dean. "Your dad, he's in here with me. Trapped in his own meat suit. He says hi, by the way. He's gonna tear you apart. He's gonna taste the iron in your blood."

"Let him go you bastard!" I shouted at him. "I'll fucking slaughter you, I swear I will!"

That was the wrong move, he moved to me, bearing over me and held onto my face.

"That's nothing compared to what he's gonna do to you Mary! It will kill Dean to watch this!" he growled at me and I held onto my tears.

"Let her go! Or I swear to God!" Dean shouted but the demon didn't budge from me.

"What? What are you and God gonna do? You see, as far as I'm concerned this, this is justice. You know that exorcism, Mary, the one you couldn't do. That was my wife, the demon who brought you up and looked after you for years! Brought you up as her own baby girl!" he pushed my head off the wall and I knew I was bleeding. He went to Dean next.

"You know that exorcism of yours? That was my daughter."

"Who, Meg?

"The one in the alley. That was my boy. You understand?

"You gotta be kidding me." Dean commented in disbelief.

I was trying to work the logistics of the possibility of a demon being able to reproduce in my head. This was probably one of the only things keeping me sane at that moment in time.

"What? You're the only one that can have a family? You destroyed my children. How would you feel if I killed your family? Oh, that's right. I forgot, I did. Still, two wrongs don't make a right!".

"You son of a bitch!"

"I wanna know why. Why did you do it?" Sam piped up.

"You mean, why did I kill mommy and pretty little Jess?"

"Yeah."

"You know, I never told you this, but Sam was gonna ask her to marry him. Been shopping for rings and everything!" he smirked and went to Sam. "You wanna know why? Because they got in the way."

"In the way of what?"

"My plans for you Sammy, you and all of the children like you."

"Listen, you mind just getting this over with, huh? Cause I really can't stand the monologuing!"

"Funny. But that's all part of your M.O., isn't it? Masks all that nasty pain, masks the truth."

"Oh yeah, what's that?"

"You know, you fight and you fight for this family, but the truth is...they don't need you. Not like you need them!"

"Don't listen to it Dean! You lying son of a bitch!" I needed off that wall and I needed it now.

"Sam, he's clearly John's favourite. Even when they fight, it's more concern then he's ever shown you. Mary, she's his little girl, no-one messes with her, she picks up the phone and he goes running."

"I'll bet you're real proud of your kids too, huh? Oh, wait, I forgot. I wasted them." Dean smirked at the demon, thinking he had got one over on him.

"Shit!" I muttered, Dean had said the wrong thing. The demon moved Uncle John's head down and when he looked up, Dean began to scream in pain.

"Dean? No! Dad! Dad!" Sam shouted at him.

"Uncle John, come back, please!" I shouted a him. "Uncle John, please!" I cried at him.

"Dad! Dad! Don't you let it kill me!" Dean begged him as he bled through his shirt.

"Dean!" Sam was still screaming.

"Dean!" I cried. "Please, Uncle John! Come on!" I tried to get off the wall.

The blood began to pour from Dean's mouth, he was weakening. "Dad, please!" he muttered before he blacked out.

"Dean!" I screamed at him. "No! You bastard! I'll kill you myself you son of a bitch! Let us go!" I cried on. "Dad, please come back! Dad!"

Uncle John came back, he began to weep and cry "Stop. Stop it..." he begged the demon.

Sam dropped to the floor and grabbed the gun.

"You kill me, you kill daddy!" The demon had come back and toyed with Sam's emotions.

"I know!" he shrugged and shot him in the leg as the demon dropped to the floor so did we.

We all dropped to the floor and I crawled over to Dean faster than I thought possible. I ran my hands over his head and checked for a heartbeat with my ear. "Oh thank God! Dean, come on, wake up, please!" I placed my hands on his face.

Sam came to us very quickly and knelt beside us. "Hey, oh God! You lost a lot of blood!"

"Where's Dad?" he asked Sammy.

"He's fine Dean, I promise!" I smiled at him.

"He's right here. He's right here, Dean!" he assured him.

"Go check on him!" Dean muttered.

"Dean!"

"Go and check on him!"

"Sammy, please, just go! I've got Dean!" I took my outer shirt off and placed it under Dean's, pressurising his wounds. "You're going to be fine Dean!"

"Dad? Dad?" Sam asked to see if Uncle John was still there with us.

"Sammy!" Uncle John jumped up from the floor. "It's still alive! It's inside me! I can feel it! Just shoot me! You shoot me! You shoot me in the heart, son! Do it now!" he shouted at him, demanding of him.

"Sam, don't you do it! Don't you do it!" Dean demanded of him.

"Sam, don't you dare! Sammy, please don't!" I cried on and on.

"You gotta hurry! I can't hold onto it much longer! Just shoot me, son! Shoot me, I'm begging you! We can end this, here and now! Sammy!"

"Sam, no!" Dean begged and I cried on and on.

"You do this! Sammy!" John begged and his head hit the floor as Sammy lowered the gun. The demon left him, the smoke pouring from him.

"Oh, thank God!" I took a breath and went to Uncle John. "Hey."

"Hey you!" he was pissed but didn't want to take it out on me. "Sam, give me your shirt!"

"Oh, here!" he took it off and I tied it around Uncle John's leg. "Hey, Mary! Your head is pouring of blood!" he parted the hair at the back.

"I'm fine Sammy! I promise!"

"Mary, I'm so sorry!" John apologised.

"It's not your fault!" I assured him. "We need to get to the hospital!"

I got up and Sam and I moved Uncle John and Dean to the car. I felt myself go dizzy and I knew I was going to black out.

"Hey, hey, hey Mary!" Sam caught me and carried me to the car. "Wake up, please, oh shit! Come on Mary!"

"Mary, Mary Ellen Campbell!" Uncle John shouted at me. "Come on sweetheart! Stay awake!"

"Look, just hold on, all right!" Sam looked at the back seat patients. "The hospital is only ten minutes away!"

"I'm surprised at you, Sammy. Why didn't you kill it? I thought we saw eye to eye on this! Killing this demon comes first! Before me, before everything!"

"No, sir! Not before everything! Look we still got the colt! We still have one bullet left! We should start over, all right? I mean, we've already found the demon once..."

"Sam....." I screamed as the lorry drove into us at full speed


	39. Season 2: In My Time Of Dying

When I woke up, the floodlights from the truck were blinding me in the back of the car. I thought this had all been a nightmare that my head had thought up. It wasn't, it was real. Dean and Uncle John were unconscious, Sam, was, however moving. I couldn't speak; it would hurt me far too much to do so. The car shook and the driver door flew off the car, Sam still had the Colt in his possession.

"Get back! Or I'll kill you, I swear to God!"

"You won't. You're saving that bullet for someone else." The driver's voice was far too young for his body.

Sam was not in the mood to take shit from anyone as he cocked the gun. "You wanna bet?"

The demon left him and he fell to the floor, the black smoke ran through the sky and covered most of the car.

"Oh, my God!" the drivers voice had changed to the old man I had expected it.

"Dad?" Sam asked him.

"Did I do this?"

"Dad?" Sam asked and there was no answer for us. "Mary?"

I moved a little and coughed "Sammy..."

"Oh thank God! Dean?" he asked for his brother but there was no answer. "Dean!"

I blacked out as he screamed.

When I came around there was no-one there, the hospital room was empty. At least I wasn't on a vent and I couldn't choke on it.

"Oh, your awake!" the nurse smiled "Let's get you up sweetie!" she raised the bed and I moaned a little. "I'll just go and get your brother." She informed me and went. Sammy returned two seconds later.

"Hey!" he smiled and sat on the bed with me. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty shitty! My head feels like Phil Rudd is in there!" I grinned at my joke. "How is Uncle John?"

"He's fine, just sleeping it off." He ran his thumb over a cut on my head.

"Dean?" I asked, expecting the same answer he'd just given me. But he was silent and silence always meant something bad when it came to this. "He's okay isn't he?"

"I don't know, the doctor's haven't told me anything but he's on a vent at the moment."

"Oh God!" I let the tears roll. "He won't...he can't!" I sobbed and Sam held me against him.

"I'll do everything I can, so will Dad, you know that! If there's a hope in hell, we'll get him back!"

I nodded against him. "Have you called...."

"Danny, yeah. He's on his way in, like a half hour away by now. He's bringing you some things through."

"Thank you!" I smiled and the doctor came into the room.

"Hey, what's the prognosis for my sister then?" Sam asked. They must have had us down as siblings for the insurance.

"For the collision you were in, you're very lucky to be here! Just cuts and bruises to the legs and a

couple of cracked ribs, so your sides will hurt. But other than that, your one tough cookie honey."

"She sure is Doc." Sam smiled at him.

"The nurse is going to bring your food through and you can use the shower if you would like."

"Thank you." I smiled at him before he left. "Sam, go to Dean. I need to know everything!"

"I won't leave you here."

"You heard the doctor; I'll only be eating crappy hospital food and getting cleaned up! By the time

that's done, Danny will be here. If not, I'll watch the TV."

"You're sure? Do you need anything?"

"Hershes or Reeses?" I smiled at him and he laughed at me.

"I'll smuggle you something in!" he left the room and the nurse placed my tray on the table.

I sat and ate my food in agony; it physically pained me to be moving my mouth, no matter how much morphine they had me on. My life, however, walked through the door within ten minutes of Sam leaving which seemed to make the pain disappear.

"Holy shit Mary!" he placed the bag on the table and sat with me.

"It's that bad huh?" I asked him with tear filled eyes.

"No, no it's not baby!" he kissed me gently on the mouth. "I thought...for a minute..."

"I'm going nowhere! You know that!" I kissed him back. "What did you bring me?"

"Oh, erm, I bought you some new pyjamas and underwear, because the police went through almost everything in your room, and I knew how pissed you would be to know that." He placed them on the table, showing off how nice he was being. He'd even brought my Mom's old dressing gown for me.

"Thank you. Although, buying me underwear Mr. Singer!" I teased him and he blushed. "I don't mean it. I really am grateful."

"And shampoo and your emergency toiletries bag." He was proud of himself. "See, I can do this!"

"I never doubted you for a second Danny." I went to stand but nearly screamed in pain as I did. Danny caught me in his arms before I fell back.

"Oh, hang on honey." The nurse scolded me. "I'll help you in the shower."

"I'll be right here, watching daytime TV. Oh hang on, DVD's!" he smiled and pulled them out of the bag. The nurse helped me into the shower and washed me down, the blood streaming off me. She washed my hair for me and then placed me in the clean green pyjamas and simple white underwear.

"He's lovely your boyfriend." She smiled. "He really does know your every need!" she helped me back to bed where Danny moved and helped me get comfortable. The nurse left us alone to talk.

"Did the cops ask anything difficult?" I muttered, I was watching him, whilst he was watching TV.

"Not really. Bobby answered most of them. We told them you'd been in an accident with John so you're in the clear." He smiled at me and stroked my hair back from my head. "Your Mom's lawyer that she had when you were younger is coming to Bobby's to speak with you about guardianship. He's a hunter to so you'll be fine."

"Thank you!" I smiled at him and let him hold my hand. "Can I have a hugging session?" I pouted.

"Mmmhmm." he smiled and helped me move on the bed so I was comfortable and he was there holding me. He was eating something that smelt a whole lot better than hospital chocolate mousse.

"You've got Reeses!" I moaned.

"Oh yeah, and Lucky Charms!" he smiled. "You're not allowed! But I stocked up on it all for when you come back! You've lost a bit of weight!"

"Most boyfriends would be happy about that!" I beamed.

"Not me! I want you healthy again! And sugar is going to help you get there Miss. Campbell." He smiled. "Hey Sam! I'd move, but she'd scream and kill me."

"Okay, erm, I can leave..." Sam added awkwardly.

"No, Sam! Danny helped me move." I grimaced as he did as he was told.

"Dad's awake, so I thought you would want to come and see him." He smiled but he had had bad news.

"Thanks. Danny could you?" I asked him and he lifted me so I could stand on my feet.

"Can you walk it?" Sam asked, holding my hands.

"Mmmhmm! I can make a go of it!" I grimaced.

"Here, I'll help. Just put your weight on me." he smiled and placed my arm around his shoulder and his went around my waist. "Come on."


	40. Chapter 40

Sam managed to get me to Uncle John's room without a stop. He practically carried me there.

Uncle John was sitting up in bed, waiting for news on the other kids in the family.

"Mary!" he sighed in relief. "Thank God!" he kissed my head for me and held me to him, not wanting to let go of me.

"I'm fine Uncle John, I swear I am!" I held the tears in. "How are you?"

"Just a broken arm!" he nodded to it. "I'm fine other than that! What about Dean?"

Sam stood at the opposite side of the bed and gave me a worried glance before breaking the news.

"He's in pretty bad shape. The doctors don't think he'll wake up and even if he does..." he took a breath "they don't know how bad the damage will be or the state he'll be in."

"Shit!" I muttered and let the tears go silently, not sobbing or crying out. "We have to find someone!"

John went for his wallet and took the insurance card out of one of its pockets. "All right, here. Give them my insurance."

Sam took the card and smirked at the name "Elroy McGillicuddy?" he sat down.

"And his three loving children. So...what else did the doctor say about Dean?"

"Nothing." Sam swallowed the truth hard. "Look, if the doctors won't do anything, then we'll have to. That's all. I don't know. I'll find some Hoodoo priest and lay some mojo on him and...."

I raised an eyebrow at Sam, at the moment he could've been channelling Dean.

"We'll look for someone."

"Yeah." Sam agreed.

"But, Sam...I don't know if we'll find anyone." John was preparing us for the worst scenario possible.

"Why not? I've found that faith healer before."

"Sam, Dean wouldn't want someone dying for himself again, you know that! The faith healer, he was messing with some super bad crap. It killed a lot of people."

"Mary's right. That was one in a million." John agreed with me.

"So what, what, then do we just sit here with our thumbs up our ass?"

"No, Sam..." I rubbed my head.

"No, I said we'd look. All right? I'll check under every stone!" he assured his son who nodded in agreement. "Where's the colt?"

"You have to be shitting me!" I shook my head in disbelief.

"You're son is dying, and your worried about the colt?"

"We are hunting this demon, and maybe it's hunting us too. That gun may be our only card." John spoke reason into us both.

"It's in the trunk. They dragged the car to a yard of I-81."

"All right, you gotta clean out that trunk before some junk man see's what's inside."

"I already called Bobby. He's like an hour out. He's gonna tow the Impala back to his place."

"All right. You go meet up with Bobby. You get that Colt and you bring it back to me. And you gotta watch out for hospital security."

"I think I got it covered." Sam went for the door.

"Hey, here. I made a list of things I need. Have Bobby pick them up for me." He handed Sam a piece of paper.

"Acacia? Oil of Abramelin? What is this stuff for?"

"Protection." He assured us.

"Hey Dad. You know the demon? He said he had plans for me and all the children like me. you have any idea what he meant by that?"

"No, I don't." He played dumb and Sam left the room. He had to know something. "I'm so sorry Mary, about Ruth!" he rubbed my cheek with his hand. "I had no idea."

"None of us did Uncle John." I shrugged and played with Aunt Marys' bracelet. He took hold of my hand.

"What is it half pint? You can tell me." he smiled.

"It's more of a question actually." I shrugged.

"Ask away, I'm not going anywhere."

"Before she died, Mom...she said something...and it's been bugging me..." I took a deep breath. "She said...and I can't believe I'm asking...but she said...that you know who my father is...that you'd tell me...when the time was right."

"I don't think this is the right time." He avoided my gaze by putting his wallet away.

"It was telling the truth." I realised in my head.

"What was?"

"The demon, it said it was my father...when the fire happened...and that it would come back for me... it would never leave me..."

"No! Mary, listen to me!" he moved my head so I was looking at him straight in the eyes. "The demon is not your father. This just isn't the time to tell you!"

"I need to know Uncle John! I've just lost my Mom! I haven't got another parent!" I cried. "I'll find out, you know I will, I just wish it was you that would have told me!" I got up and winced on the pain and made my way to my room. Danny caught me as I nearly collapsed and placed me on the bed.

"Why you put yourself through this much hell!" he shook his head and pressed the call button. "I'm gonna get you something for the pain!"

With that the nurse came and they hooked me up to a morphine drip which enabled me to fall asleep uninterrupted. Danny sitting on the chair, keeping watch over me with the TV as background noise.

"Mary?" It was a gruff voice that was trying to wake me. A hand was moving through my hair and placing it behind my ear. "Are you awake?"

"I am now." I muttered half out of it. "Where's Danny?" I asked and sat up.

"He went for some fresh air and to get some magazines for you, well, books."

"Thought he might." I yawned.

"I hate to admit this, but I like that kid. Even if he is too old for you, he's got his head screwed on."

"I know he has." I smiled "Thanks for the kind words. Tell him you like him please. Then he won't be scared."

"I want him to be scared, it'll make sure he doesn't do anything stupid or hurt you in any way!"

"You're terrible!" I laughed a little. "I'm sorry for having a go at you before! It's just losing everyone....Not having a father is really bugging me...I just want to know he exists."

There was a silence in the room before Uncle John spoke to me.

"Mary...I'm going to tell you something...and I don't want you to jump to any conclusions."

"Okay. What is it? You're worrying me now."

"You know, I was the first one, after Ruth, to hold you when you were born?" he smiled at the memory.

"Yeah, I know and Dean was the third."

"Dean was your first word!" he laughed as did I. "Ruth was gutted."

"I never knew that, I just assumed it would have been Mom." I beamed.

"Nope, it was Dean!" he was upset by something. "After your Aunt Mary died, I had no-one but the boys. No family to turn to or help me. So I coped on my own for about five years. Then your Mom came back from Europe. She couldn't make the funeral for Mary. She came to see me, to see Sam and Dean, almost as soon as she got back. Told me I was a lousy father for dragging the boys into the life she had. That it was the last thing Mary had ever wanted for them."

"That's why she hated the idea of me hunting, because Aunt Mary hated it? She was off hunting in Europe all that time anyway."

"I know she was. She started to help me out with Sam and Dean more and more. She'd look after them when I was hunting...one night...I was in bad shape...I thought I was going to die after this hunt. Your mom patched me up and hid me from the thing I was hunting. One thing...it just...I don't know..."

My heart stopped in my chest, I could feel the anger rising up inside of me. "One thing led to another?"

"It never meant to happen. Nine months later, you appeared."

"You mean I was never in your plans? I'm the bastard child you never wanted." I took it all in.

"No, Mary! You're nothing like that!"

"It sure as hell looks like that to me! You left my Mom; you left me, because you couldn't face the shame...or take responsibility. You slept with your dead wife's sister! And left me and Mom to live on our own! Coming back for birthdays and the occasional Christmas?" I smirked, trying to stop the tears. "You know, I took you for a lot of things John Winchester! But a coward wasn't one of them!"

"I'm sorry, I did the best I could for you. I couldn't have you dragged into this life like Sam and Dean were! I left because the demon came for you! I was putting you in too much danger by being there!"

"Do they know?"

"Who know?" he looked at me genuinely confused.

"Sam and Dean! Do they know that I'm there half-sister?"

"Dean does, he overheard me and Ruth talking the night of your sixth birthday."

"And Sammy? He hasn't got a clue has he?" I shook my head. "Are you going to tell him? Or do I have to be your dirty little secret for good?"

"No, I'll tell him...I promise..." he tried to hold my hand and I pulled it away quickly.

"No, just leave me alone please!" I muttered.

"Mary..."

"Just leave me alone!" I screamed at him.

"Okay." He got up and left in tears. "Mary..."

"What?" I snapped.

"I'm sorry."


	41. Chapter 41

"Hey, Mr. Winchester." Danny greeted him as he left. "What's got him so upset?"

"You really don't want to know Danny." I shrugged. "He just told me..."

"Who your father was?" he placed the magazine's on the table and sat next to me. "Do you know him?"

I nodded my head "Mmmhmm. There's a reason Uncle John always hangs around."

He looked at me wide eyed. "Holy shit! You mean you really are a Winchester? Meg and your Mom's demon were telling the truth?"

"Yeah, they were." I shook my head. "Why couldn't he tell me when I was younger? Instead I was the kid who never had their dad to take them to little league or ballet or...."

"Hey, I still had a Dad and he never did any of that shit with me! You know John would have done...would still do anything for you Mary! He's practically like a father to you anyway!"

I nodded "See, now, I feel guilty for being a bitch to him about this!"

"He'll get over it! You're allowed to feel a bit pissed off to start with! Now you know why he doesn't want you hunting! You're his little girl Mary. I mean, if I had a daughter I would sure as hell be pissed if she wanted to this!"

"I know, any father would be." I weighed Danny's words up in my head "You mean, you want a little girl to look after?" I teased him.

He coughed his throat out, "Yeah well. I just think I would be good at the father thing."

"You would be, the way you look after me!" I pulled him in and kissed him. "Would you take me to Dean's room? I wanna see him."

"I don't think that's a good idea Mary. He's in pretty bad shape."

"Please? He might not make it Danny! If he doesn't I don't know if I could live with myself."

"Okay, okay." He smiled and helped me walk to Dean's room. He placed me in the chair. "I'll be outside!" he kissed my cheek.

I nodded before looking at Dean's body. I placed my hand on his; not wanting to move anything encase something went wrong.

"Hey Dean." I started. "God, you really don't stop at half's do you? I know now...but I guess you always knew, about John and my Mom. You just wanted to protect me from the truth I'm guessing. Protect me from everything, be the big brother to one hell of an annoying little sister!" I smirked. "But we need you Dean! Sam and Uncle John. Or should I be calling him Dad now? They'll kill each other and no matter how much I put on the tears, I can never stop them arguing! It won't be the same without you, we all need you!" I stroked his head, letting the tears roll. "Please, just wake up soon! Do whatever it takes!" my lip trembled. "I need you more than anyone, Sammy, he can't cope with me, and I'm not on the same wave length as him! Please, I can't lose you, not after Mom!"

I felt my hair being moved from my head gently, the fingertips were really light. So was the kiss that followed. I moved my head up to look to see if it was Danny comforting me. There was no-one there. "Hello?" I asked out as I looked around the room. I looked at Dean. "It was you, wasn't it?"

"Mary?" John's voice was there. "How are you?"

"I'm fine Uncle John...just trying to talk to Dean...see if he's anywhere around." I wiped my tears away.

"Is he?" he sat down at the other side of the room.

"I'm not sure. I thought....never mind." I shrugged and we went silent. "Uncle John...."

"Mmmm." He muttered at me, concentrating on Dean.

"I'm sorry....sorry I acted like a bitch back there! I just didn't know how to react..."

"It's okay. I should have told you years ago...when you were a lot younger..."

"I suppose part of me always knew. I look far too much as a Winchester for you not to be my...Dad."

He laughed at me "You're as stubborn as us to! But you're as kind and considerate as Mary was...as Ruth was before..."

"I remember her being different now." I took a breath "She would never have worked as an Estate Agent. She would have still been a hunter or opened a cake shop."

"I remember that! She always made everyone's cakes." He smirked.

"I remember the time Dean got me drunk when I was ten. I had such a hangover, I think I was ill for two days!"

"You were, I was so pissed with him. He did the same with Sam." He shook his head as I let out a yawn. "Come here!" he smiled and I went to him. He hugged me around the shoulders and kissed my head. "You're my little girl Mary! I'm sorry I put you through all of this!"

"Hey, most of it was me! I made Dean take me all over! I just wanted to prove myself!"

"You have, a thousand times over!" he laughed. "You need to go to sleep now! You need your energy!"

I nodded and smiled at him. "Okay. Wake me if Dean comes around please."

"I will don't worry!"

I stopped at the door way and turned to him before muttering. "Goodnight Dad."

He looked like he would cry at me. "Goodnight sweetheart." He muttered back.

"You two are speaking then?" Danny asked me.

"Looks like it!" I smiled.

"Good, I hate it when you're annoyed with him!" he kissed me before taking me to the hospital room. He lay himself on the bed next to me and let me snuggle into him before I fell asleep in his arms.

The next morning Danny woke me up by placing the hospital breakfast tray on the table.

"The nurse brought this in earlier but I thought I'd let you sleep in." he smiled and handed me my hair brush and mirror.

"Thanks." I smiled and brushed the knots out of my hair and tied it back into a ponytail and stuck a hair band in. This wasn't a fashion thing; I was trying to keep the hair off my stitches as much as I could. I didn't want to have to pull the hair out of them later on; it made my stomach lurch to even think about it.

"Okay, I think you have something that is supposed to be scrambled egg and then there is the warm juice." He smirked. "I still have those Lucky Charms if you want them?"

"Life saver!" I smiled at him. He emptied the cereal into a bowl and filled it with milk. "You seriously brought everything but the kitchen sink!" I grinned and took a spoonful.

"I learned from you!" he teased and I threw a piece of cereal off him. "Hey, play nice!"

"Okay, I'm sorry!" I pulled him in for a kiss. "Mmm. You taste better than the cereal!"

"Do I?" he grinned at me. "Well, I'm glad to hear it!" he kissed me again.

There was a cough at the door and Danny pulled back from me.

"Mr. Winchester." He turned to face him. "Glad to see your feeling better."

"I may have only one arm, but it only takes the one to pull a trigger."

I smirked at Danny's expression and ate my breakfast.

"Yes, sir." He nodded "I'll just go for a walk." He kissed my head and left the room.

"You don't have to be so mean to him." I scolded him as he sat on the chair.

"You gonna eat those eggs?"

"Nope, you can have them!" I gave him the tray. "Danny brought me addiction to me, so I'm good."

"The nurse will kill you for eating that much sugar!"

"Doubt it, there isn't a law against it and it makes me a much happier patient when I have had some form of sugar in me!"

"They still make those?" he looked at the box.

"Yep. Do you want some?"

"No, I'm good." He'd finished the eggs in record time as I finished my breakfast. The nurse came and took the empty plates away for us. I'd placed the food back into the holdall before she'd appeared just encase she would take them from me. Danny followed her shortly afterward.

"Mary, do you think you can cope without me for a couple of days?"

"Sure. Sammy will be back soon, dare I ask you why?"

"Mom called, Dad isn't too good, and he wants to see me."

"So you're moving back to Chicago?"

"I don't know...I don't think so. Bobby needs me more than they do."

"Okay, give your Mom my love!" I smiled at him and he quickly kissed me goodbye before he left.

"Mr. McGillicuddy, we need to do some more tests, so could you come back to your room, your daughter can come with you."

"Sure, no problem Doc." He smiled and we went to his room together. I took a book with me and sat in the chair to read it.


	42. Chapter 42

When the nurses had left, Sam appeared two seconds later. He was pissed off, I knew that because he didn't say two words to me or Dad. He went straight to the window and looked out of it.

"Sam?" I asked and he didn't look at me.

"You're quiet."

Those words got a reaction from him, even though it was one I wasn't expecting. He slammed the bag on the table in front of his father with such a force I thought he was going to break it.

"You think I wouldn't find out?"

"What are you talking about?"

"That stuff from Bobby! You don't use it to ward off a demon, you use it to summon one! You're planning on bringing the demon here aren't you? Having some stupid, macho showdown!" he was more than pissed, he would use the bullet left in the Colt to shoot at Dad at that moment in time if he could get his own way.

"I have a plan, Sam!"

"That's exactly my point! Dean is dying and you have a plan! You care more about killing this demon..."

"Do not tell me how I feel! I am doing this for Dean!"

"How? How is revenge gonna help him? You're not thinking about anybody but yourself! It's the same selfish obsession!"

"Come on guys, please don't do this!" I added in the place of Dean, I would have to learn this skill.

"I thought it was your obsession too! This demon killed your mother! Killed your girlfriend! You begged me to be part of this hunt! Now if you had killed that damn thing when you had the chance, none of this would've happened!"

"It was possessing you, Dad! I would've killed you!"

"And your brother would be awake right now!"

"Shut up, the both of you!" I shouted at them.

"Go to hell!" Sam muttered to him.

"No, you know what? I should've never taken you along in the first place! I knew it was a mistake!"

"I said shut up!" I screamed at them and the glass flew onto the floor and broke.

We all fell silent and looked at one another. The nurses and paramedics were all running down the corridor and in the direction of Dean's room.

"Something's going on out there." John nodded for us to check it out and I went with Sam.

We stood at the door as they all gathered around Dean's lifeless body.

"Oh God, please no!" I muttered and let Sam hold onto me as we waited for a sign of him coming back. The words meant nothing to me but I still remember each and every one of them in one of the longest minuets of my life.

"All clear? "

"Clear."

They shocked him and waited all of two seconds.

"Still no pulse."

"No." Sam was crying now and he held me tighter.

"Come on Dean, don't do this!"

"Still no pulse."

"Okay, let's go again. Three-sixty."

"Charging."

"All clear?"

"Clear."

"Clear." It went again but the result was the same, there was no heartbeat in that body.

"Come on, come on!"

"Still no pulse!"

"Baseline, 36."

"I said, get back!" A voice screamed, it was Dean's voice.

"We have a pulse, we're back into sinus rhythm."

"Was it me, or did you..." I asked Sam as I pulled away from him.

"No, I heard it to Mary. Come on." he led me back to Dad's room to tell him that we might have a hope.

"What happened?"

"They had to resuscitate Dean." I muttered and sat next to him. Sam took the seat where I had been before. "We both felt something weird in the room."

"What do you mean, you felt something?" he asked us both and I looked at Sam. He would know how to explain it better than I would.

"I mean, I mean, it felt like—like Dean. Like he was there, just out of eyeshot or something. I don't know if it's my physic thing or what. But do you think it's possible, do you think his spirit could be around?"

"Anything's possible." He smiled at us.

"Well, there's one way to find out." Sam got up and went to the door.

"Where are you going?" I asked him.

"I gotta pick something up. I'll be back." He informed us both.

"Wait, Sam. I promise I won't hunt this demon. Not until we know Dean's okay." He promised Sammy who nodded and left.

"I'm gonna go and take a nap Dad. I'll be back in an hour or two." I smiled and kissed his head. "Try and get some sleep please."

"I will. I love you Mary Ellen."

"I love you to, but you know that!" I hugged him gently and left.


	43. Chapter 43

I slept for an hour or two. I woke up with a heavy feeling in my stomach, something was seriously wrong. I got ready, pulling a pair of jeans, v neck jumper and flat shoes on. I pulled my hair down because I wrapped the bobble around the ponytail too tightly and I had a headache from it. I took a bottle of holy water and placed it in my pocket. I looked out of the room and noticed Uncle John disappear with the bag around the corner toward the boiler room. I followed him without a second thought, keeping out of his sites as I went.

He went down to the basement and stopped in the middle of the boiler room. I hid behind the wall and waited for my moment to tell him he was an idiot and a liar. I heard the crackle and a flare of light and took it then.

"Are you a complete idiot?" I asked him with a growl. "You promised us! You promised you wouldn't do this until Dean was okay!"

"Mary, shhh! I'm not hunting this demon! I need you to go, now, go to your room and wait for me there!"

"No, I'm not going to let you commit suicide Dad!"

"I won't be killed! You know that!" he kissed my head "Go!"

"No, I won't leave you!"

"Then be quiet!" he ordered me and I did as I was told.

"What the hell are you doing down here buddy?" the caretaker asked us, making me jump out of my skin.

"I can explain." Dad started in his defence.

"Yeah? You're gonna explain to security! Come on, you follow me!" he began to walk away but Dad stayed where he was so I did to. He pulled the Colt out of his pocket.

"Hey!" he called and the caretaker stopped and turned. "How stupid do you think I am?"

The man's eyes turned to the colour yellow we had all learned to hate. "You really want an honest answer to that?" two of the biggest doctors I had ever seen came and stood behind us. "You conjuring me, John. I'm surprised. I took you for a lot of things...but suicidally reckless wasn't one of them!"

"I could always shoot you."

"You could always miss. And you only got one try, don't you? Did you really think you could trap me?"

"Oh, I don't wanna trap you." He lowered the Colt.

"What the hell are you doing Dad?" I whispered wide eyed.

"I wanna make a deal."

"This very unseemly, making deals with devils. How do I know this isn't just another trick?"

"It's no trick. I will give you the Colt and the bullet...but you gotta help Dean. You gotta bring him back."

"Why, John, you're a sentimentalist. If only your boys knew how much their daddy loved them."

"More than you loved your kids." I smirked but shut up when Dad stood on my foot lightly.

"It's a good trade. You care a hell of a lot more about this gun than you do Dean."

"Don't be so sure. He and this pretty thing killed some people very special to me. But still, you're right, they aren't much of a threat. And neither is your other son, of course. You know the truth, right? About Sammy...and the other children."

"Yeah, I've known for a while."

"But Sam doesn't, does he? You've been playing dumb."

"Can you bring Dean back? Yes or no?" he changed the subject before I could ask him what the hell was going on.

"No. But I know someone who can. It's not a problem."

"Good, and before I give you the gun, I'm gonna wanna make sure that Dean's okay, with my own eyes."

"Oh, John, I'm offended. Don't you trust me? Fine."

"So we have a deal?"

"No, John, not yet. You still need to sweeten the pot."

"With what?"

"There's something else...I want as much as that gun. Maybe more." He smirked and looked at me.

"No, leave her out of this." Dad growled at the demon.

"Fine. I need a life, and yours is just the kind that the hellfire likes." He smirked in his stupid sing song voice.

"Dad, you can't!" I begged him. "Dean...he'd rather die than..." I let the tears go.

"Listen to me Mary! I'll always be there with you, you know that!" he kissed my head. "I've had my life, it's time for Dean to take over!" he hugged me against him and I knew he had nodded.

"Pleasure doing business with you John boy. See you soon."


	44. Chapter 44

We got back to the room and Dad wiped the tears from my face. It felt weird being able to call him that after the years of longing to. We walked to Dean's room to find him sitting up in his bed. Alive and well. Dad knocked on the door to announce us.

"How you feeling, dude?"

"Fine, I guess. I'm alive." Dean shrugged it off.

"That's what matters!"

I went and sat next to Dean on his bed and let him hug me with all he had.

"I'm okay Mary! You know that!" he kissed my cheek. "Come on half-pint! I'm not going anywhere! You can stop crying now!"

I nodded against him and pulled back, wiping away the tears.

"Where were you last night? Where did you take her?"

"I had some things to take care of."

"Well, that's specific."

"Come on, Sam." Dean begged him for me.

"Did you go after the demon?" he pressed on for an answer.

"No." Was the short reply he got.

"You know, why don't I believe you right now?"

"He went with me Sammy. They needed me to id Mom's body and I couldn't do it on my own. Danny was back at his dad's, so I asked him to come with me."

"Can we not fight? You know half the time I don't know what we're fighting about. We're just butting heads. Sammy, I've—I've made some mistakes. But I've always done the best I could. I just don't wanna fight anymore, okay?" he was tearing up.

I moved and sat on the chair, pulling my legs up to me.

"Dad, are you all right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm just a little tired." He smiled. "Hey, Sammy, would you mind...? Do you mind getting me a cup of caffeine?"

"Yeah. Yeah, sure." He nodded and left us in the room.

"What is it?" Dean asked him.

He sat on the bed where I had been two seconds earlier. "You know, when you were a kid...I'd come home from a hunt. And after what I'd seen...I'd be...I'd be wrecked. And you...you'd come up to me...and put your hand on my shoulder and you'd look me in the eye. And you'd, you'd say, 'its okay, Dad.'" He smiled. "Dean, I'm sorry."

"What?"

"You shouldn't have to say that to me. I should've been saying that to you. You know, I put—I put too much on your shoulders. I made you grow up too fast. You took care of Sam. You took care of me. You did that. And you didn't complain, not once. I just want to let you know...that I am so proud of you!"

"This really you talking?" he asked him. He was in shock, the man in front of him never hardly let his feelings show.

"Yeah, yeah, it's really me."

"Why are you saying this stuff?"

"I want you to watch out for Sammy, okay?"

"Yeah, Dad, you know I will."

"And I want you to look out for your sister to." he nodded at me.

"So you know?"

I nodded. "I do Dean."

"You're scaring me." Dean added to John.

"Don't be scared Dean." At that point he leant over and whispered something in Dean's ear. Something that Dean didn't like, but it had to be said, it was a warning. He got up and kissed me on the head.

"Remember what I told you?"

"Yeah, I do Dad." I smiled and held in my tears before he hugged me and left the room. That was the last time I saw my Dad, John Winchester alive. The last thing he ever said to me was in that room, the last time he ever held me to him and comforted me.

"Sammy doesn't know Dean. I don't think I could tell him."

"I will, I promise!" he pulled me on the bed and held me to him. "Now you know why I'm so protective over you!"

"Mmmhmm! Like any older brother would be!" I smiled.

"I'm always gonna be like that, okay? No matter how old you get!"

"Help! Help!" Sam's voice screamed. That was it, it was all over, and the demon had kept his promise and had taken the Colt and Dad with him back to hell.

Sam came and got us within two seconds of our shouting.

"What's happened?"

"Dad...." he muttered and we helped Dean go to the room where they were trying to resuscitate him.

"You'll have to wait outside!" The nurse tried to push us back.

"No, no, no, no, it's our Dad! It's our Dad!" he informed her and she left us alone. "Come on!" he muttered, praying that he was going to be okay and wake up.

"Okay, stop compression." The Doctor ordered everyone.

"Stopped. Last breath."

"Come on, come on!" Dean was still hoping as my tears were sobbed out.

"Still no pulse." The nurse confirmed it for us.

"Okay, that's it everybody. I'll call it, time of death, 10:41a.m." The doctor's voice jarred through us like a knife.


	45. Everybody Loves A Clown

A day later they released Uncle John's body and on the same day, they released my Mom's. I waited for them to come to Bobby's watching out of the window as an ambulance pulled in and the body bags were wheeled out and brought into the house. The boy's wrapped them both up in bandages around the corpses, binding them tightly. I had built the pyres in the previous day; I needed to keep myself busy with something.

Dean knocked gently on my door, I had decided to live with Bobby, and Mom's lawyer had told me that after John, he was the next best thing. I had gotten everything, sold the business and the house in record time. Apparently, what the demon had created through the years had made me one very rich teenager.

"You coming?" he asked me.

"Yeah, sure." I nodded and got up. "It's the same day that..."

"I know. Ironic isn't it?" he scoffed.

"No, I didn't mean it like that. It seems...I don't know...like it could be fated." I shrugged as we reached the bottom of the stairs and the rest of the walk we spent in silence.

Sam was waiting for us, matches in hand. The two bodies on separate pyres, they were going together. And I prayed they would be going to the same place, even though I knew it was a false hope. Sam lit the wood and it went up in flame, the heat licking the bodies of my parents. I huddled myself, holding my arms around me. The tears fallen down my face silently.

Sam noticed, noticed his younger sister crying. He knew now, Dean had told him at some point. He wasn't pissed, which I thought he would be. He placed his arms around me and I buried myself in his t-shirt, watching the building fire.

"Before he—before he—did he say anything to you? About anything?" Sam asked the oldest Winchester. He was sobbing and if it had been me, I would have told him. His tears would have broken me. But Dean, he was resolved on keeping it a secret from everyone. He hadn't even told me.

"No. Nothing." He lied to protect us.


	46. Chapter 46

A week had past and the November sun was beating hard on Bobby's scrap yard. Dean was yet again, working on the car. He'd never been seen anywhere else but under the hood of Kaz. I made my way over to see him wearing my denim shorts and fitted AC/DC t-shirt. I was carrying a peace offering to him, just to make sure he didn't tell me to back off.

"Dean. I brought you a coke." I placed the ice-cold pint glass on the workbench and waited for a reply. None came. "Okay, shout if you need anything. Dinner will be ready at five."

"Hang on, Mary." He came from under the car. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." I smiled, keeping my distance. "How's she coming along?" I asked as I touched the bonnet.

"Slow, but I'll get her back to normal." He cleaned the spanner before taking another drink.

"I'm sure she'll be perfect." I nodded.

"How you coping?" he asked me and sat on the bonnet of the car. I couldn't look at him, I just stared into space.

"Fine, I guess. The sale of the house came through. Most of the stuff, the demon bought anyway, what little there was of Mom, I've got here, in boxes." I shrugged. "I miss them Dean."

"So do I." He smiled at me. "I don't know how you haven't had a breakdown."

"You don't see me most of the time. The cooking and the cleaning, that's how I cope with it! Trying to keep myself busy...so I don't..." I took a breath and sat next to him.

"How's Danny dealing with all of this?"

"Great, actually. He's being extremely patient and he knows when to leave me alone, when I want him there..." I noticed him smile. "What?"

"You really love him, don't you?" Dean asked and got up.

"I do. Why, is there a problem with that?"

"No." He was being short.

"Dean? Come on dude, tell me!" I got up and stood on the opposite side of the car.

"It's just...you guys seem serious...and I was wondering....if you were being..."

"Don't even let that word pass from your mouth!" I stopped him. "I don't want the talk from you! I've had it about a thousand times already!"

"Well, I just don't want you hurt anymore." He shrugged. "I don't wanna be an Uncle."

"No danger there, because we still haven't....you know." I shrugged.

"Really?" he looked smug.

"Don't look too happy Dean! Your little sister is still innocent, through no choice of her own." I blushed. "Okay, there are cookies in the oven that will burn if I don't go now." I left him to work on the car, he was laughing in disbelief.

Sam was making his way toward him. "Hey, how are you?"

"I'm good Sammy. You?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just sorting out Dad's things." He smiled "You're really red."

"I am? Well, Dean is taking his big brother role to a whole new level. He just tried to give me the talk."

"Ouch." Sam smiled at me.

"I know, tell me about it!"

"It's okay, I just gave it to Danny!" he grinned.

"You Winchester's! I swear to God, you're all as bad as each other!"

"Get used to it, you're one of us now!" he shouted back, laughing as I gave him the finger.

I went into the kitchen and smiled at Danny. He was wearing the kiss the cook apron and pulling my baking from the oven.

"Can I take that apron as an order Mr. Singer?" I smiled and let him grab hold of me.

"You sure can!" he kissed me on the mouth as I picked up a cookie.

"You want some of this?"

"Mmmhmm." he kissed me again and I fed him. "Fuck! There still hot!" he spat it into the sink.

I laughed at him. "Oh you're a sucker!" I blew on the rest of it and ate it without a problem. "I heard Sam gave you the talk."

"He figures since John isn't here, he has to take his place. He's just as scary as John, trust me."

"Oh, I know he is!" I kissed him again. "I'm sorry! If it's worth anything, I got the same talk off Dean."

"I doubt Dean told you he'd rip it off if you even thought about it!"

"You're joking? I'll have words, don't worry!" I kissed him. "It would be worth it though!"

"Let me be the authority on that, because it wouldn't be!" he kissed me again and I heard a cough at the door.

"Put her down Singer." Dean warned him. "Oh, cookies!" he went for them and I smacked his hand. "What was that for?"

"I made them, and you're not getting any, and don't even think about it Sam!" I warned him.

"We've got a job to do anyway." Dean smiled and took one.

"Where?" I asked him and put the rest in a jar.

"Harvelle's Roadhouse." Sam added. "You heard of it?"

"Nope, can't say I have." I lied through my teeth, knowing the welcome Sam and Dean would get. "Can I come with you?"

"Nope, you have to stay here until we know..."

"What you're dealing with, I know!" I shook my head. "Well, be back before dinner." I warned them both.

"Sure will." Dean answered and left the room before doubling back. "By the way Singer, love the apron!"

I smirked a little. "Hope you burn your mouth off on that cookie a-hole!"

"Na-ah, I blew on it!" he shouted back.

"You're going to follow them, aren't you?"

"Yep, sure am! I'll just go and put some jeans on!" I beamed and ran up the stairs to get changed.


	47. Chapter 47

I drove the caddy to the roadhouse, it had been years since I'd been here and I hadn't thanked Ellen for helping me. I noticed Dean's replacement car out front and shook my head at it. I walked into the bar to find Ellen holding a gun to Sam and Jo had one to Dean.

"I think these are John Winchesters boys!" She smiled and laughed. "Hey, I'm Ellen. My daughter Jo."

"Hey." Jo muttered in disbelief.

Dean was cradling his nose. "You're not going to hit me again, are you?"

I laughed a little to let them know I was there. "You hit him? Nothing changes, does it Jo?"

"Mary!" Ellen smiled at me and I went to her. "How are you honey?"

"I'm fine. I didn't get a...."

"Hang on! We said you had to wait..." Sam began his lecture.

"Until you knew what you were dealing with, I know. But I knew all along."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I wanted the pleasure of Dean getting his ass kicked by a girl." I beamed.

"Thanks for the concern then." Dean smirked. "Some little sister you are."

"That's what I'm here for." I nodded. "I'll get you..."

"Here, I'll do it." Ellen read my mind as we sat down and handed Dean and ice pack. "Here."

"Thanks." He muttered back. "You called our Dad. Said you could help. Help with what?"

I went and sat next to Sam on the step, smirking as I noticed Ash asleep on the pool table.

"Well, the demon, of course. I heard he was closing in on it." She explained and I shifted a little on the step. Dean threw me a look and I knew I was in trouble.

"Hey, it wasn't me!" I defended myself. "I'm not that stupid!"

"Well, was there an article in Demon Hunters Quarterly that I missed? I mean, who are you? How do you know this?"

"Hey, I just run a saloon. But, hunters have been known to pass through every now and again. Including your Dad and Mary's mom a long time ago. They were like family once."

"Where do you think I got the Ellen from smart ass?" I informed him.

"Oh, yeah? How come he's never mentioned you before?" Dean asked her.

"You'd have to ask him that."

"So why exactly do we need your help?" he changed the subject quickly to avoid the truth.

"Hey, don't do me any favours. Look, if you don't want my help, fine. Don't let the door smack your ass on the way out. But John wouldn't have sent you if..." she realised as we all sat in silence. "He didn't send you. He's all right isn't he?"

"No, no he isn't. It was the demon, we think. It erm, it just got him before he got it, I guess."

"I'm so sorry." She tried to comfort us.

"It's okay. We're all right."

"Really. I know how close you and your dad..."

"Really, lady, I'm fine." He snapped at her.

"So look, if you can help...we could use all the help we can get." Sam changed the subject again, he had the talent for talking us out of awkward situations.

"Well, we can't. But Ash will." Ellen smiled.

"Who's Ash?" Sam asked.

"Ash?" Ellen shouted and the pool balls moved as he woke up. Both Sam and Dean looked in shock as the realisation hit them.

"What? Closing time?" he asked.

"That's Ash?"

"Mmmhmm. he's a genius." Jo assured him.

"So how are you anyway?" I asked Ellen.

"Fine. How about you?" she looked at me with concern.

"I'm good. I never got a chance to thank you, you know, with..."

"Don't mention it. I'm just glad we got to see Ruth one last time."

"Me too." I smiled and sat next to Sam on the bar as he slammed the folder down.

"You gotta be kidding me. This guy's no genius. He's a Lynyrd Skynyrd Roadie." Dean stood with his arms folded in disbelief.

"I like you." Ash smiled.

"Thanks." Dean looked less than impressed.

Jo poured us all a glass of water. "Just give him a chance."

"All right." Dean sat on the opposite side to Sam. "This stuff's about a year's worth of our Dad's work. So er, let's see what you make of it." He pushed the file to Ash who opened it without a hesitation.

"Come on. This crap aint real. Aint nobody that can track a demon like this."

"Our Dad could." Sam added in John's defence.

"These are nonparametric statistical overviews. Cross-spectrum correlations. I mean...damn! They're signs. Omens. If you can track them, you can track this demon. You know, like, crop failures, electrical storms. You ever been hit by lightning? It aint fun."

"Can you track it or not?" Sam just wanted the one answer.

"Yeah, with this, I think so. But it's gonna take time. Give me....51 hours." Ash got up and went to leave the bar.

"Hey man." Dean shouted.

"Yeah?"

"By the way, I er, dig the haircut."

"All business up front and party in the back." Ash explained it to us.

"Hey, Ellen, what is that?" Sam asked nodding at the bar before Dean left to go and try to hit on Jo.

"Oh, good luck with that one." I muttered under my breath.

"It's a police scanner. We keep tabs on things..."

"No, no, no. The folder." He corrected her.

She picked it up "I was gonna give this to a friend of mine, but..." she handed it to him. "Take a look if you want."

"Thanks." He smiled.

"What you got there?" I looked over his shoulder.

"Couples, killed by a clown, it looks like. The clown gets in to the house and eats the parents...but leaves the kids..."

"Maybe...there just isn't enough...meat...erghh, I gross myself out sometimes!" I rubbed my head.

"So John told you?" Ellen asked us.

"About him being my Dad, yeah. Just before he..." I shrugged it off. "Least I know. The lawyer's having my name changed for me."

"Why?"

"Dean wanted it." Sam explained. "So did I. He's on her birth certificate so I guess he would have wanted it anyway."

"So what do you think Sammy? Do you think we should take this case? Even with the..."

"Yeah, yeah I can handle it!" he defended himself. "We may as well have a look into it."

"You'll have to convince Dean first Sammy." I informed him and took a swig of water.

"Dean come here, check this out."

"Yeah." He prised himself away from Jo.

"A few murders, not far from here, that Ellen caught wind of. Looks to me like there might be a hunt."

"Yeah, so."

"So, I told her we'd check it out." Sam explained his intentions.

"What do you say Dean? Can we go to the circus?" I smiled.

"Sure, we can, you can't!" He ordered me and I placed my head on the bar.

"Please not this crap again!" I ran my hands through my hair.

"Right, that's it, outside now!" he pointed at the door and I went without a fight. "Why do you pull this crap? You know you can't cope!"

"I can so cope with hunting! I've done it on my own before! Just because I'm a girl..."

"It's got nothing to do with you being a girl Mary!"

"So what is this about then Dean?"

"It's about you! You're my little sister and I promised Dad I'd look after you and that doesn't involve you getting yourself killed!"

"He told you to look after Sammy, but you're not stopping him!"

"Sammy's twenty three! You're still seventeen!"

"Come on Dean! If I promise to be good...I'll man the..." I look at the replacement "...soccer car! Please, please, please!" I pouted at him. "I can always be bait!"

He weighed it up in his head; he knew I was good at being bait. "Fine! But if I tell you to stay in the car, you..."

"Stay in the car! Got it boss!" I jumped in delight before hugging him and going to get Sam. "Come on Sammy were going on a clown hunt!"


	48. Chapter 48

I paid for my pouting by being placed in the back of the cramped car after we'd picked up my bag with my things from Bobby's.

"This car is crap Dean!" I moaned. "We could have taken mine!"

"No...Your car is far too...flashy...and it will get noticed!" Sam smiled at me.

"Very true Sammy!" I smiled. "Wake me up when you smell candy floss or spot Coco the Killer Clown!"

"You gotta be kidding me. A killer clown?"

"Yeah, he left the daughter unharmed and killed the parents. Ripped them to pieces actually?"

"And this family was at some carnival that night?" Dean asked.

"Applaud the genius!" I smirked as he rolled his eyes.

"I can turn this thing around you know!"

"You might kill it if you do! Try not to strain anything now, soccer mom!"

"Oh you're asking..."

"Come on guys!" Sam started. "Right, the Cooper Carnival!"

"So how do you know we're not dealing with some physco carni in a clown suit?"

"Because we wouldn't be hunting it if we were!"

"I mean, I'll come back there and..."

"Dean!" he scolded him. "Well, the cops have no viable leads, and all the employees were tearing down shop. Alibis all round. Plus, the little girl said she saw the clown vanish into thin air. Cops are saying trauma, of course!"

"I know what you're thinking, Sam."

"Why did it have to be clowns?" I muttered, placing my head on his seat, finishing Dean's sentence for him.

"Oh, give me a break!" he muttered as I ruffled his hair.

"You didn't think I remembered, did you? I mean come on, you still bust out crying when you see Ronald McDonald on the television."

"At least I'm not afraid of flying!"

"Planes crash!"

"And apparently, clowns kill!"

"Boys, come on, let's get back to the task at hand!" I urged them.

"So, these type of murders, they ever happen before?"

"Er, according to the file, 1981. The Bunker Brother's Circus. Same m.o. it happened three different times, three different locales."

"It's weird though, if it is a spirit, it's usually bound to a specific locale you know: a house or a town."

"So how's this one moving from city to city, carnival to carnival?" Sam questioned out loud.

"Cursed object maybe?" Dean was thinking out loud to.

"The spirit attaches itself to something the carnival carries it around with them."

"Great, a paranormal scavenger hunt." Sam rubbed his head.

"Maybe it isn't a spirit. Maybe it's something else, I mean, there are a hell of a lot more things more scary than ghosts." I tried to help out, but I managed to make it worse.

"Thanks Mary!" Sam scowled at me.

"Dude, this case was your idea. By the way, why is that? You were awfully quick to jump on this job."

"So?" Sam muttered, obviously not spotting the problem in his head.

"It's just not like you, that's all. I thought you were hell-bent-for-leather on the demon hunt."

"I don't know. I just think, taking this job, it's what Dad would've wanted us to do."

"What Dad would've wanted?" Dean looked in disbelief.

"Drop it Winchester!" I muttered to him.

"Yeah, so?" Sam looked at me then at Dean.

"Nothing." He smiled. "Go to sleep Mary, you'll need it!"

"No problem boss!" I nodded and did as I was told.

The sunlight woke me up as the car stopped at the new carnival spot. I looked in between the two front seats.

"Dean." Pointed at the cops.

"Check it out. 5-0." He nodded before taking the car around the back and parking it up. "Mary, stay with Sam, until I find out what's going on."

"Okay. Someone has to make sure he doesn't have a break down." I nodded and walked with him.

We stood next to an attraction and I smiled. "Man, I used to love these things when I was younger. Remember when Dad and my Mom took us." I climbed the railings and sat on it.

"Yeah, you were ill for a week cause you ate too much sugar."

"Hey, I was only five. Dean acted like he was too old for it, but he was the one that was into it most!" I smiled at the memory of me begging him to win me a teddy and even more at me getting my own way. "Oh, twelve Sammy!" I nodded and he froze as a little person came toward him and stared him out before leaving. Dean had noticed and was highly amused.

"Did you get her number?" he asked. "Will you get down from there!" he ordered me and I did as I was told.

"More murders?" Sam asked him.

"Two more, last night. Apparently they were ripped to shreds. And they had a little boy with them."

"God, poor kid." I muttered.

"Who fingered clown...what?" he asked Dean who was looking at him with contempt.

"Yes, a clown, who apparently vanished into thin air."

"Dean, you know, looking for a cursed object, it's like...trying to find a needle in a stack of needles. It could be anything."

"Well, it's bound to give off EMF's. So we'll just have to scan everything."

"Fun, fun, fun." I muttered.

"Oh, good. That's nice and inconspicuous."

"I'll guess we'll just have to blend in." he nodded at the post.

"Oh, you have to be kidding me! Picking up trash?" I shook my head.

"You don't like it; call Singer to pick you up." Dean informed me as we walked toward the tent with the most activity.

An old guy with impeccable shot was throwing knives at an archery board. He was wearing dark glasses, which meant he was blind and that made him a hell of a lot more impressive than before. Even Dean was impressed by him.

"Excuse me. We're looking for a Mr. Cooper. Have you seen him around?" he asked naively.

"Erm Dean..." I muttered but it was too late.

"What is that, some kind of joke?" the guy took off his glasses.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry!" Dean apologised but it wasn't going to be enough.

"Do you think I wouldn't give my eye teeth to be able to see Mr. Cooper or a sunset or anything at all?"

"Wanna give me a little help here?" he asked Sammy to get him out of the situation.

"Not really." He smirked back.

"Don't look at me dude." I smiled.

"Hey, Barry, is there a problem?" a little guy asked and I wanted to see how much deeper Dean could dig his grave.

"Yeah, this guy hates blind people."

"No, I don't...I don't!" Dean feebly defended himself.

"Hey buddy, what's your problem?" for all he was small, he was scary.

"It's just a little misunderstanding!"

"Little? You son of a bitch!" he was gonna crack him in the knees with his stick as Sammy and I laughed our asses off.

"No, no, no, no! I'm just—can somebody tell me where Mr. Cooper is? Please?"

"Erm, Dean, I think his office is over there, you know, where it says Mr. Cooper on the door!" I pointed and he scowled at me and stormed off.

"How long did you know?" Sam asked.

"About two seconds after we went in the tent! You?"

"Before we went in the tent!" Sam smiled at me as we found Mr. Cooper and Dean explained the situation to us.

"You kids picked a hell of a time to join up. Take a seat." He nodded at them and Dean and I darted for the black seats so Sam was stuck with the creepy clown.

"We got all kinds of trouble." Mr. Cooper began.

"What do you mean?" Dean responded for us.

"Well, a couple of folks got murdered. Cops always seem to start here first."

"That's awful!" I smiled at him. "Totally biased, sir."

"So, you three ever worked the circuit before?"

"Yes sir, last year through Texas and Arkansas." Sam nodded.

"Doing what? Ride jockeys? Butcher? A&S men?"

"Yeah, a little bit of everything I guess." Sam agreed not knowing what title that had left his mouth meant.

"You three have never worked a show in your lives before, have you?"

"Nope. But we really need the works. So—and Sam here has got a thing for the bearded lady." Dean tried to make with the funny and I shook my head in disbelief.

"You see that picture?" he pointed backward. "That's my daddy."

"You look just like him."

"He was in the business. Ran a freak show, till they outlawed them most places. Apparently, displaying the deformed isn't dignified. So most of the performers went from honest work to rotting in hospitals and asylums. That's progression I guess. You see this place it's a refuge for outcasts always has been, always will be. For folks that don't fit in nowhere else. But you three...you should go to school. Find a couple of girls and a guy. Have 2.5 kids. Live regular."

"Sir, we don't wanna go to school. And we don't want regular. We want this."

And with his little speech, which a year ago would have been bull; Sam won us the job and our alibi.

"Huh." Dean muttered at him.

"What?"

"That whole, er, "I don't wanna go back to school" thing. Were you just saying that to Cooper, or, were you, you know, saying it?" he asked and Sam wouldn't answer right away. "Sam?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know? I thought that once the demon was dead and the fat lady sings....that you were gonna take off, head back to wussy state."

"I'm having second thoughts."

"Really?" Dean tried not to act impressed.

"Yeah, I think. Dad would have wanted me to stick with the job."

"Since when do you give a damn what Dad wanted. You spent half your life doing exactly what he didn't want Sammy."

"Since he died, okay? You have a problem with that?"

"Dean." I muttered, trying to calm him down and it worked as he bit his tongue and left it.

"No, I don't have a problem at all." Was his short but sweet answer.


	49. Chapter 49

We were kitted out with our red coats so everyone knew who to throw their garbage at. Dean had given me an EMF to place inside it. It would be just my luck that I would find something and not them. I paid attention to no-one but myself as I picked up the rubbish and placed it in the black bag. No-one wanted to us the bins provided, even though when I was their age, my Mom would have kicked me ass if I didn't put it in the bin. I managed to buy five bags of cotton candy and hid it in the back of the car before making my way to the bin with the full bag of garbage. Dean was already there, on the phone to Sammy.

"Hey man."

"What's the matter, you sound like you just saw a clown." He smirked and I giggled a little.

"Very funny." There was a pause. "Skeleton, actually."

"Like a real human skeleton?"

I perked up, maybe we had something to go on then I realised. "Fun house I'm betting."

"In the fun house. Listen, I was thinking, what if this spirit isn't attached to a cursed object? What is it's attached to remains?"

"What if it's not a spirit at all?" I muttered and Dean scowled.

"Did the bones give off EMF?"

"Well no, but—"

"We should check it out anyway. I'm heading to you."

We marched away but Dean stopped, Barry the blind guy had caught him by the arm.

"What are you doing here, kid?"

"I was just sweeping.

"Bull. And what were you talking about? Skeletons? What's EMF?"

"Okay Dean, I'll leave you to it!" I smiled and left him. Apparently the blind guy hadn't noticed me at all. I quickly marched toward the funhouse and met Sammy there.

"Hey, where's Dean?"

"He got stopped by Barry, the blind guy." I shrugged. "So, a skeleton huh? You really hate Halloween don't you?" I teased.

"Haha!" he rolled his eyes. "But yeah, they just give me the creeps."

"After everything you've seen? Hunted? Killed? Clowns scare you?"

"Hey, bugs are your problem!"

"Yeah, but they are just creepy! They're small and...How they walk...and urghh!" I shivered at the thought of them. "Here's Dean."

"What took you so long?" Sam asked him.

"Long story!" Dean explained to us.

"Mommy, look at the clown!" A little girl shouted and we all looked at her. We moved forward to be in her eye line. There was no clown there.

"What clown? Come on sweetie, come on." Her mom ushered her away to her father and we followed them, keeping our distance until they left and we then followed in the car.

"You told Barry about the clown?" I asked him as I took the jacket off. We had parked outside the house. "You have to be on crack!"

"Dean, I cannot believe you told Papazian about the homicidal phantom clown!" Sam was just as pissed as I was.

"No, I told him an urban legend about a homicidal phantom clown." He took the gun out of his bag. "I never said it was real!"

"Keep that down!" she pushed the gun down.

"Oh, and get this. I mentioned the Bunker Brothers Circus in 81'... and their evil-clown-apocalypse. Guess what?"

"What?"

"Before Mr. Cooper owned Cooper Carnival...he worked for Bunker Brothers. He was their lot manager."

"So you think whatever the spirit's attached to, Cooper just brought it with him?"

"Something like that. I can't believe we keep talking about clowns!"

"Hang on. How would Barry know that? Do you think he worked with him?"

"Maybe. What does it matter?" Dean asked me.

"I don't think....never mind." I shrugged. "Wake me up when he comes for his happy meal."

Sam woke me up by cracking my leg with the back of his hand.

"Dean!" he pointed to the house. "Mary..."

"I get it, I'm on car duty!" I stretched out as they left and I sat up. I waited in the car before the ructions and screaming started. The glass came out of the window, as did the clown before Sam and Dean came out to.

"I'm not even going to ask you two what you did!" I sat back as he drove the junk car as fast as it would go.


	50. Chapter 50

He pulled over in the middle of nowhere and we got out. I knew was I gonna have to walk and wished to God I had charged my i-pod before I came on this hunt.

"You really think they saw out plates?" Sam asked as he handed me my other bag.

"I don't wanna take the chance. Besides, I hate this freaking thing anyway." He moaned and I giggled a little at him. "Here, I'll take that for you." He took my heavy bag for me.

"Thanks Dean. I've got some cotton candy if you want it?"

He shook his head and smirked at me. "That's the only reason you went on this hunt isn't it?"

"For the sugar, sure! I haven't had this stuff in years!"

"Well, one thing's for sure." Dean changed the conversation quickly.

"What's that?"

"We're not dealing with a spirit. That rock salt hit something solid."

"Thank you! You know I hate to say I told you so...but I did tell you!"

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "We know you did! So is it a person? Or maybe a creature that can make itself invisible?"

"Yeah. And dresses up like a clown for kicks? Did it say anything in Dad's journal?"

"Nope." Sam added and began to dial a number into his phone.

"Who are you calling?"

"Maybe Ellen or that guy Ash will know something."

"Hey, there's no maybe about it jolly, Aunt Ellen will know and Ash will sure as hell know something worth the phone call for!" I intervened for them.

"Hey, you think--? You think Dad and Ellen ever had a thing?"

"No way." Dean shook his head.

"I second that motion! I seriously hope not!" I shuddered at the thought of it.

"Then why didn't he tell us about her?" Sam pleaded his side of the story.

"I don't know. Maybe they had some sort of falling out."

"More than you know."

"Yeah, you ever notice Dad had a falling out with just about everybody?" Sam was trying but Dean just wasn't biting. "Well, don't get all maudlin on the man!"

"What do you mean?"

"Shit." I muttered, they were going to a have to do this sooner or later. I just didn't want to be there when it all kicked off.

"I mean this strong, silent thing of yours! It's crap! I'm over it!"

"Oh my God!" Dean wasn't angry yet, I'd give him a sentence before he would blow his top.

"This isn't just anyone we're talking about! This is Dad! I know how you felt about the man!"

"You know what? Back off, all right? Just because I'm not caring and sharing like you want me to!"

"No, no, no, that's not what this is about Dean. I don't care how you deal with this, but you have to deal with it, man! Listen, I'm your brother, alright? I wanna make sure your okay!"

"Sammy." I tried to stop him.

"Dude, I'm okay! I'm okay, okay? I swear the next person who asks me if I'm okay, I'm gonna start throwing punches! These are your issues! Quit dumping them on me!"

"What are you talking about?" Sam stopped.

"I just think it's really interesting this sudden obedience you have to Dad! It's like "oh, what would Dad want me to do?" Sam, you spent your life slugging it out with the man! I mean hell, you picked a fight with him the last time you ever saw him! Now that he's dead, now you wanna make it right? Well I'm sorry Sam, but you can't! It's too little too late!"

"Why are you saying this to me?"

"Because I want you to be honest with yourself about this! I'm dealing with Dad's death! Are you?"

Sam looked like he was either gonna cry or pull punches but he took his phone out again.

"I'm gonna call Ellen." And he did.

"You complete bastard Dean! Do you not think he's hurting enough without you making it worse?" I started with him. "Do not take it out on him Dean! It's not his fault Dad's dead!"

"I know it's not Mary!" he explained.

"He feels bad enough as it is, knowing that the last words he said to him were ones full of hate? You had the privilege of a conversation with him! All Sammy had with him was a fight! You're not the only one that's hurting! I miss them too Dean!" I let a tear go before he held me against him.

"I know I'm sorry Mary! I've got you now and I'm not going anywhere, I promise you! I promised you years ago!"

"I know you did!" I shrugged. "You'd better keep it! I might kill Sammy if I was left with him!"

Sam was walking with us a little later on, meaning they'd both calmed down.

"Thanks a lot." He smiled and put the phone down. "Rakshasa."

"What's that?"

"Ellen's best guess. It's a..."

"Race of ancient Hindu creatures. They appear in human form and they feed on human flesh. They can make themselves invisible without needing to go to Hogwarts. And they cannot enter a home without being invited." I finished it for him.

"How do you know all this crap?" Dean asked for the both of them.

"I read a lot. And Danny has an encyclopaedia of Supernatural stuff on his laptop." I shrugged a little embarrassed.

"So they dress up like a clown and the children invite them in?" Dean asked Sam now.

"Yeah."

"Why don't they munch on the kids?"

"No idea. Not enough meat on the bones, maybe?"

"What did I say at Harvelles?" I smiled.

"Yeah, we know, brain box" Dean ruffled my hair.

"Quit it dude!" I moaned and pulled it into a ponytail to avoid another attack.

"What else you find out?" Dean asked and placed a hand on my mouth to stop me speaking.

"Apparently, Rakshasas live in squalor. They sleep on a bed of dead insects."

"I think I'm gonna barf." I shook my head as my skin crawled.

"Nice."  
"Yeah, and they have to feed a few times every twenty to thirty years. Slow metabolism, I guess."

"Well that makes sense. I mean the carnival today, the Bunker Brothers in '81."

"Right, probably more before that."

"Hey, Sam, who do we know that worked both shows?"

"Cooper?"

"Cooper." Dean confirmed his suspicion.

"You know that picture of his father that looked just like him."

"You think maybe it was him?"

"Well, who knows how old he is."

"Ellen say how to kill him?"

"There's the golden question, spill it Sherlock!"

Sam scowled but did as he was told. "Legend goes, a dagger made of pure brass."

"I think I know where to get one of those."

"Well, before we go stabbing things into Cooper, we're gonna wanna make damn sure it's him." Sam brought Dean back down to earth.

"Oh, you're such a stickler for detail, Sammy. All right, I'll round up the blade. You go check if Coopers got bedbugs."

"I'm going with Dean!" I added before they could tell me to do any different.


	51. Chapter 51

By the time we'd reached the camp they'd been set up and had a full day's business without us to help out. Dean and I found Barry right away.

"Hey, Mr. Papazian." I smiled at him, but realised it was no use.

"Hey, Mary right?"

"Sure is." I nodded.

"I always remember a pretty voice. What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering...and I know it may be a long shot...but you're the knife man...do you have a brass one?"

"A brass knife?" he thought about it. "Come with me."

We followed him without a second thought. "Thanks for this sir. It's for an art project."

"Well, I got all kinds of knives. I don't know if I got a brass one though." He let us in to his dressing room and I shut the door. "Check the trunk." He hit it with his stick and I read the poster.

"Bunker Brothers, 1981..." My eyes widened as I heard the sound of bells and a flash of a red wig entered my eye.

"You?" Dean asked him and he dropped his stick and took off his glassed.

"Me." he waved before disappearing.

"Shit!" I exclaimed, not even bothering to care about my cursing anymore.

"Move!" Dean pushed me and tried to open the door. The knives started to fly. "Jesus!"

The knives kept coming and hitting the door before Dean opened it up.

"All right!" he took hold of me and ran with me out of the dressing room.

"Hey!" Sam met us.

"Hey!" Dean stopped and doubled back.

"So Cooper thinks I'm a peeping Tom, but it's not him!"

"Yeah, so I gathered, it's the blind guy. He's here somewhere."

"Well, did you get the--"

"The brass blades? No. No, it's just been one of those days!"

"He's gone all Harry Potter and disappeared on us!"

"I got an idea, come on." Sam ran for the fun house and we followed him without a second thought.

We made it in but the door shut and closed Dean off from Sam and me.

"Dean!" I shouted at him, looking for the lever to open it again.

"Sam! Mary!" he shouted back at us.

"Dean! Dean, find the maze, okay?" he informed him before dragging me to the organ.

"Brass pipes!" I smiled. "Nice work Toto!"

"I know!" he agreed before pulling it out.

"Hey." Dean looked relieved to be back with us.

"Hey, where is it?"

"I don't know. Shouldn't we see his clothes walking around?" he asked before the knives began flying. He threw me out of the shot but it got me by the sleeve, pinning myself and Dean to the wall. "Sam!" He warned him as the knives went for the other Winchester.

"Dean, where is it?"

"I don't know!" he shouted before pulling the lever to release the steam from the organ which gave us an outline.

"Sam, behind you! Behind you!" I shouted at him.

He shifted the pipe quickly and it hit the thing in the stomach, the blood shown around the wound. Dean pulled the knives from us both before I went to see the pile of bloody clothes.

"Gross." I shrugged.

"I hate fun houses!" Dean muttered.

"You always did Dean!"

I called Danny to pick us up and he did so without a second thought.

"So where are we off to?" he asked as I clambered in the back seat with Dean, letting Sammy have the passenger.

"Harvelle's is the nearest. We have something to sort out." Sam shrugged and Dean nodded.

"Okay, you boys wanna play nicely while I get some sleep?" I asked them and they went silent. "I'll take that as a no." I sighed before falling asleep on the car door.

When I woke up I was lying with my head on Dean's knees and he was flat out sitting up in the most uncomfortable poise ever.

"Are we there?" I asked out loud.

"Oh, she's alive!" Danny smiled. "Yeah, we are, just pulling in now."

"Come on Dean, you get to see Jo again!" I hit him on the shoulder and he woke up.

"We there?" he rubbed his eyes.

"Yep. Come on, I wanna get changed!" I complained as he moved out of the car. I got some things from the boot and made my way into the saloon. "Hey Ellen."

"Hey Mary. How did it go?"

"Well, we're alive! Sam and Dean will tell you all about it! I'm gonna change!"

"Hey, take Jo with you." She ordered me and Jo followed to the bathroom where I changed in a cubicle.

"So, how did it go?" Jo asked me.

"Good, got ordered about by Dean a lot, but he's taking it into his head to be a the big brother he always was!" I straightened my shirt and came out of the cubicle. Jo handed me a brush and headband for my hair. "You like him, don't you?"

"Who?" she went red.

"Father Christmas...Dean! Who else Jo?"

"Yeah, maybe."

"He likes you to. It's just...he's in a bad place at the moment...even though he hides it pretty well. John dying....it's....left a scar Jo."

"Are you warning me off him?"

"Hell no! I love you to bits! Just be careful, if you're not, I'd have to kill you, maybe the two of you!"

"I'll take the warning! Come on, I'll get you a coke." She smiled and we went back to the saloon. Danny was waiting outside the door and smiled at my skirt. "I haven't seen you in a skirt in a while!"

"I know! Thought I would have a change!" I beamed as he kissed me.

We heard a cough, Dean's cough. "Put her down Singer!" he grinned.

"Put her down yourself Dean! Gently please!" I smiled as he went red and scowled. I hugged into Danny before he led me to the pool table.

"Wanna game?" He asked as he set up.

"Sure, why the hell not!" I smiled and took a cue. Sam joined us two seconds later. "Hey. How's he doing?"

"I think, and it's a first, he's saying no!"

"Wow, good on him!" Danny nodded.

"He's not ready for it Sammy, and he knows it!" I smiled as I potted the first ball.

"Where have you guys been? I've been waiting for you."

"We were working a job, Ash. Clowns?" Sam informed him.

"Clowns? What the f...?"

"You got something for us Ash?" Dean stopped him in his tracks. He sat at the bar with his laptop and we joined him.

"Did you find the demon?" Sam as the primary question.

"It's nowhere around. At least, nowhere I can find. But if this fugly bastard raises its head, I'll know. I mean, I'm on it like a divine on dog dookie."

"Nice Ash." I scowled at him.

"What do you mean?" Sam pressed him.

"I mean..." he turned the laptop to face us. "Any of those signs or omens appear anywhere in the world...my rig will go off like a fire alarm!"

"Do you mind--?" Dean went to touch the laptop but Ash was having none of it. "Yeah."

"What's up man?"

"Ash, where did you learn to do all this?"

"MIT. Before I got bounced for fighting."

"MIT?" Sam was in shock more than asking about it.

"It's a school in Boston."

"Okay. Give us a call as soon as you know something?"

"Si, si compadre!" he smiled before finishing Dean's beer.

Dean went for the door which meant we had to go to.

"Hey, listen. Erm, if you kids need a place to stay, I got a few of beds out back." Ellen offered for us all.

"Thanks, but no. No, there's something I gotta finish." Dean explained to her.

"Okay." Ellen nodded.

"What's he gotta finish?" Danny asked me.

"Kaz." I smiled at Danny.


	52. Chapter 52

The next day I was sitting in the sun as Dean finished up on Kaz. Sam appeared from nowhere, the apologetic puppy dog look on his face that I used all the time.

"You were right." He muttered.

"About what?"

"About me and Dad. I'm sorry that the last time I was with him, I tried to pick a fight. I'm sorry that I spent most of my life angry at him. I mean, for all I know, he died thinking that I hate him. So you're right. What I'm doing right now, it is too little. It's too late." He shrugged before the tears came. "I miss him, man. And I feel as guilty as hell. And I'm not all right. Not at all. But neither are you. That much I know." He was waiting for an answer but none came. "I'll let you get back to work." He nodded and left us.

"Dean..." I waited for the answer which came in the shape of him smashing the car window. Then, he took it out on the car's boot lid, creating the biggest hole ever. I waited for him to calm down, for me to not be petrified before I jumped from my perch and went to him.

"Dean?" I asked him before he hugged me to him tightly and cried it out on my shoulder.


	53. Blood Lust

I was running, faster than I ever thought I possibly could. My feet burning in my shoes and my heart racing so fast in my chest that it was hurting. I kept on hitting the low branches, but I didn't care. I had to keep on going, if I didn't, it would kill me. The monster would kill me. I had to stop, if I didn't, my heart would burst in my chest. I felt the bark at my back, my hands clinging to it for dear life. But something wasn't right, it was there. I turned and saw it. Saw the glint of the sickle it carried to take out its ritual. It got to me as I screamed.


	54. Chapter 54

That scream drove through the whole house. I was petrified beyond all reason as Dean, Sam and Bobby came into the room. Sam sat on the bed and held my face in his hands, trying to catch my gaze.

"Mary, Mary, Mary!" he said over and over. "Shhhh, come on, come on!"

"What is it?" Bobby asked Dean.

"There's nothing there Bobby! The lines of salt are still there." Dean looked at me with concern.

"It wasn't...it wasn't here...." I sobbed on.

"What was it?" Sam tried to calm me down. "Was it about your Mom...or Dad?"

"No. It was in a wood..."

"Wood? There isn't a wood anywhere near here." Bobby muttered.

"I was dreaming it!" I cried on. "I was in a wood and I was running. Something was after me Sammy! It had a knife and it...it...."

"It what Mary?" Sam pressed on.

"It cut off my head. That's when I woke up!" I could feel my lip tremble with tears. "I don't know what's happening to me Sammy! I'm scared!" I cried on before he pulled me to him. "That poor girl...she hadn't done anything to harm anyone!"

"We'll find out what happened, don't worry!" he kissed my head.

"Where's Singer when you need him?" Dean smirked and I laughed with him. "Sammy go and look for..."

"Sure. Mary, you'll be alright?"

"Mmmhmm!" I nodded and let him go. Dean took his place pretty quickly and handed me the box of tissues from the bedside table. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." He shrugged.

"I wish Dad was here, he'd know..." I took a breath.

"Try and get some more sleep. If Sam finds anything, I'll wake you and you can help us hunt this son of a bitch, okay?"

"Okay." I smiled and he got up. "Dean."

"Yeah Mary?"

"Would you stay? Just until I fall..."

"Sure, I'll be right here." He nodded at the chair and sat in it. I let myself bury my head in the pillow and fall asleep without a thought.

I woke up three hours later and showered before getting ready for the day ahead. Everyone was in the kitchen, attempting to cook because I could smell burning and hear cursing.

"Give it here." I moved Sam and took over. "It's only supposed to be in the oil for a few seconds!"

"Okay Betty Crocker!" Dean grinned at me.

"Hey, you wouldn't be fed properly if it wasn't for this Betty Crocker." I scolded him and piled the pancakes on plates for the three of them. "There you go."

"Thanks!" Dean smiled and ate them in record time.

I took a glass of orange and had some toast. "Have you...."

Dean glanced at Sam and shifted uncomfortably.

"You haven't? So I'm just going crazy? Fantastic!"

"No, we did find something. In Red Lodge. A couple of beheadings and cattle mutilations..." Dean got up and put his dish in the sink before pouring himself a coffee.

"I have no idea whether to be happy or..." I shrugged. "Oh well. Either way, were hunting it right?"

"You need to take your homework with you!" Bobby told me sternly. "You're not eighteen yet."

"I know, I don't need reminding of that fact Uncle Bobby!"


	55. Chapter 55

We packed a newly built Kaz up and I smiled at it.

"She's perfect Dean!" I beamed and ran my hand over her.

"I know she is!" He smirked. "Hey Baby!" he beamed.

"I'm in the back, aren't I?"

"Sure as hell are, you need to sleep!" Sam informed me.

"Thanks." I smiled and got in the back of the car. Sam and Dean sitting in the front seats.

"Woo, listen to her purr! You ever heard anything so sweet?" Dean was ecstatic.

"Oh good lord!" I rolled my eyes.

"You know; if you two wanna get a room, just let me know Dean." Sam smirked so did I.

"Oh, don't listen to him, baby. He doesn't understand us!"

"You're in a good mood?"

"Why shouldn't I be?"

"No reason." Sam smiled.

"I got my car. Got a case. Things are looking up."

"Wow, give you a couple of severed heads and a pile of dead cows...and your Mr. Sunshine."

"Glad he is. He didn't get the stupid nightmare!"

"How far to Red Lodge?"

"Er, about another 300 miles."

"Good!" he revved the car up and drove her as fast as he could.

"Dean, you'll get a ticket!"

"I don't care!"

"Fine, wake me up when we get to Red Lodge!"

When I did wake up, I was in a bed in a motel room. Sam and Dean were moving around the room getting ready.

"Hey, where are you two going?" I asked them looking up from the cover.

"We're going to interview the local cop." Dean explained to me.

"Okay, fair enough." I went to get up.

"No, you're staying here. You need to be sharp for this afternoon."

"Fair enough."

"Have you got a doctors jacket?" Sam asked me.

"Yeah, I have." I smiled at him. "I'll be doing the gross stuff then!"

"That's the plan!" Dean grinned. "We'll pick you up in a couple of hours. Try not to raid the mini bar or have any more nightmares."

"Scouts honour!" I smirked as they left and threw myself back onto the pillow.

We made our way down to the mortuary in the hospital. The saddest person was always left for this place, the one that no-one wanted to speak to or blamed everything on when something went wrong.

"John." Dean smiled at him and he stood up without a second thought.

"Jeff." He corrected him without a grudge.

"Jeff, I know that. Dr. Dworkin needs to see you in his office right away."

"But Dr. Dworkin's on vacation."

"Well he's back and he's pissed. He's screaming for you, so if I were you, I would:"

"Okay!" the poor guy panicked and ran out of the door.

"Bye bye Jeff." I smiled. "They always leave the dorks for down here." I went to the desk and grinned at the comic. "See, Spiderman!" I held it up and Sam smirked.

"And Batman is any better?"

"Sure, he's rich, good looking and he doesn't need to use any guns!" I stuck up for my favourite hero.

"Vain much." Sam smiled as we went to the drawer and put on the plastic gloves.

"Okay. Hey, those Satanists in Florida, they marked their victims didn't they?"

"Yeah. Reverse pentacle on the forehead." Sam nodded.

"Yeah, so much f'd up crap happens in Florida." He opened the drawer for us and nodded at the box "All right, open it."

"You open it." Sam argued back.

"You wuss."

"For the love of...I'll open it!" I took box and put it on the table and took the lid off.

"Well, no pentagram." Dean observed.

"Wow, poor girl."

"Maybe we should look in her mouth. See if those wackos stuffed anything down her throat. You know, kind of like the moth in Silence of the Lambs."

"You and Anthony Hopkins and Jack Nicholson should just get a room together."

"Yeah. Yeah, go ahead." Sam turned the box to him.

"No, you go ahead." Dean pushed it back to him.

"What?"

"But the lotion in the basket." He smirked.

"Right, yeah, I'm the wuss, huh? Yeah whatever..." he hesitated before feeling around in her mouth. "Dean, get me a bucket."

"Find something?"

"No, I'm gonna puke." He took his hand out.

"Wait, lift her lip up again." Dean was either being mean or had found something.

"What? You want me to throw up?"

"No, no, no. I think I saw something." He lifted the lip up himself. "What is that, a hole?"

I took a pen and pressed the gum at the side of it. "Holy shit!"

"It's a tooth."

"Sam, that's a fang. A retractable set of vampire fangs. You gotta be kidding me."

"Well this changes things."

"You think?" Dean was being sarcastic.

"Come on Jeff will be back soon." I put the lid back on and placed it back on the tray. Something wasn't adding up in my head. "I don't get it."

"Don't get what? That she is a blood sucking leech?"

"No. I know that. But in her head, she...she just seemed...innocent....not marked by murder." I shrugged and threw the gloves in the bin. "It's just...why would I have had that dream if we weren't supposed to help." I took my hair down and we moved from the mortuary.

"I don't know Mary." Sam comforted me. "We'll find out."

"Well, if your ESPN is tapped in to the bad things, we can use it." Dean smiled.

"Shut up Dean! You're not renting me like a movie." I snapped at him and we went to the car. I got in the back without a question and took the jacket off. "Blooming stupid panty hose. I hate the crappy things!"

"Well, we're going back to get changed anyway." Sam smirked at me.

"Haha. It's very funny when you're not the one who has to wear them!"


	56. Chapter 56

I was so glad to get out of the panty hose that I forgot that I would be going to a bar full of pervy old men that night and I didn't like the thought of it one bit as I entered it. I kept close to Sam, or rather he kept me close to him, not wanting to risk one moment of my safety. We managed to reach the bar without me being groped and the boy's managed to ignore the heckling that was aimed at me.

"How's it going?" Dean began.

"Living the dream. What can I get for you?"

"Two beers and a coke please."

"No alcohol for the little lady then." He smirked at me.

"No, I don't drink." I smirked back.

"Shame, bet you're a wild card with a little alcohol in you!"

"Well, you'll never know!"

"So we're looking for some people." Sam changed the subject quickly to avoid a bar brawl.

"Sure, it's hard to be lonely."

"For the love of God." I shook my head.

"Yeah, but that's not what I meant." Sam showed him the fifty and handed him it. "Great, so these people, they would've moved here about six months ago. Probably pretty rowdy, like to drink."

"Yeah, real night owls, you know? Sleep all day, party all night."

"Barker Farm got leased out a couple of months ago. Real winners. They've been in here a lot. Drinkers. Noisy. I've had to eighty-six them once or twice."

"Thanks." Dean smiled and we left and turned up and Alley.

"You do know we're being followed, right?" I asked Sam and he nodded as we turned a corner.

We hid behind the wall as a man stopped and looked around, Sam and Dean pinned him to the wall

and I recognised him straight away.

"Smile!" Dean ordered him.

"What?" he looked at us confused beyond all belief.

"Show us those pearly whites." Dean was holding a knife to his throat.

"For the love of—you wanna stick that thing someplace else?"

"Hows about up his ass?" I stood with my arms folded.

"I'm not a vampire! Yeah, that's right, I heard you guys in there."

"What do you know about vampires?" Sam questioned him.

"How to kill them. Now seriously, bro, that knifes making me itch!"

"Hey!" he went to stop him from moving.

"Whoa, easy there, chaci." He lifted his top lip back. "See? Fangless. Happy?"

Sam and Dean let go of him without another thought.

"Now, who the hell are you?"

"What's it to you?" I asked him. "He killed Christina." I muttered to Sam.

"I wanna know what hunters stepped on my turf."

"I'm Dean, this is my brother Sam and little miss sunshine over there, is Mary."

"Hey." I waved sarcastically.

"Last name?"

"Winchester." I added.

"Get out of here!" he smiled at us and led us to his car.


	57. Chapter 57

"Sam, Dean and Mary Winchester!" he pulled the hidden tray out of his car. "I can't believe it. You

know, I met your old man once, hell of a guy. Great hunter. I heard he passed. I'm sorry. That's big

shoes. But from what I hear, you guys fill them. Great trackers, good in a tight spot."

"Seem to know a lot about our family." Dean was less than impressed.

"Word travels fast. You know how hunters talk."

"No, we don't, actually." Dean corrected him.

"I guess there's a lot your Dad never told you, huh?"

"So...erm...so those two vampires, they were yours huh?"

"Yep, I've been here two weeks." He was proud of himself.

"Check out that Baker Farm?"

"Yeah, just a bunch of hippy freaks, though they could kill you with that patchouli smell."

"Where's the nest then?"

He slid the drawer back into the car.

"He won't tell you because he doesn't know Dean." I grinned at him. "Isn't that right? Or are you just playing this one close to the chest?"

"I got this one covered. Look, don't get me wrong, it's a real pleasure meeting you fellas. But I've been on this for thing over a year."

"A whole year? Work slowly or are you just being thorough?" I asked and Sam nudged me to stop.

"I killed a fang back in Austin, tracked the nest all the way up here. I'll finish it."

"We could help."

"Thanks. But er, I'm kinda go it alone type of guy."

"I'll bet."

"Come on man, I've been itching for a hunt." Dean was pleading with him.

"Sorry, but hey, I hear there's a Chupacabra two states over. Go ahead and knock yourselves out." He got into his car, pretty pleased with himself. "It was real good meeting you, though. I'll but you a drink on the flip side." He took off in his car.

"I really don't like that guy." I said out loud. "Something just doesn't add up with him. I think we need to follow him."

"I'll second that motion." Sam added and Dean nodded.

"Come on then." He took us back to the car.

We followed Gordon to the mill on the docks and fast realised he was in trouble.

"Shit." I muttered and we all ran for it to stop Gordon being Anne Boleyn'd by a vampire.

Sam took hold of his feet and dragged him out from under the chain saw. Dean had plans for the vampire as he fought him off and staked him where Gordon had been lying moments before. He took the chain saw and took his head off, no moment of hesitation in him. He was turning into a void. His life was being taken over by his job. He turned to look at us, the pain was written all over his face as Sam's disproval was apparent and my worry was too was written all over my face. Gordon, however, was absolutely delighted.

"So, er, I guess I gotta buy you that drink."

"I have a towel in the car Dean." I informed him and let Sam lead me away, his arm around my shoulder.

We all sat at the table in the bar, Dean and Gordon celebrating. Sam and I trying not to shout at Dean to get a grip and that Gordon wasn't his father.

"Here you go." The waitress smiled and placed the whiskey on the table. Dean went for the money in his pocket but Gordon stopped him.

"No, no, I got it."

"Come on."

"I insist. Thank you, sweetie."

"You're welcome, thanks." She smiled and left us.

"Another one bites the dust." Gordon smiled and rose the shot glass.

"That's right." Dean smiled and they downed it.

"Dean." Gordon chuckled to himself. "You gave that fang on hell of a haircut, my friend."

"Thank you."

"That was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful."

"You okay Mary?" Dean asked me. "You look a little pale."

"I'm good Dean." I moved my gaze from Gordon. "I'm just going to get a coke from the bar."

"Here." Dean gave me the money. "I won't tell Bobby I let you put vodka in it."

"It's okay; I'll survive without out Dean." And went to the bar and sat on a stool.

"You celebrating?" the bartender asked me.

"They are." I rubbed my head with both of my hands. "Can I have a coke please?"

"Sure thing honey." He smiled at me. "I'm Eli."

"Mary." I nodded and took the coke and looked at Gordon.

"You don't trust him?"

"That obvious, huh?" I picked the label. "I wish I could tell you why Eli. But you think I was mad."

"Try me."

"I...I had a nightmare, a couple of days ago. About that poor girl, who had..." I took a drink. "Doesn't matter. I couldn't have helped her, I was too late."

"You have premonitions then?"

"Excuse me?"

"You know, dreams. You're physic?" he whispered.

"Yeah, right." I shook my head. "How would you know about that?"

"I know about a lot of things. Werewolves, poltergeists, yellow eyed demons and most of all vamp..."

I sat wide eyed in shock before Sam came to my side and made me jump.

"God, Sammy! Don't do that to me!"

"Sorry. Hey man." He nodded at Eli who moved. "I'm going back to the motel. You wanna come with?"

"Someone has to look after the gullible ass hole over there. I'll be fine Sam. Gordon may not make it out in one piece though." I got off the stool and went to sit with Dean.


	58. Chapter 58

A couple of beers later and they were exchanging hunting stories.

"So, I pick up the crossbow, and I hit that ugly sucker with a silver tipped arrow right in his heart. Sammy's waiting in the car and er, me and my Dad take the thing into the woods and burn it to a crisp. And I'm thinking to myself. "I'm sixteen years old. Kids my age are worried about pimples, prom dates. I'm seeing things that they'll never even know. Never even dream of." So right then, I just sort of—"

"Embraced the life?"

"Yeah." Dean nodded at him.

"Yeah." Gordon looked at me. "What about you sweetie? How'd you start?"

I shrugged. "I guess I just wanted to be like Uncle John, well Dad. Wanted to keep up with the Winchesters."

"That it?"

"Yeah. Then I had to exorcise a demon from my best friend, Mom and my Dad died. So I guess that's how."

"Sorry I asked." He smiled at me.

"How'd you get started?" Dean asked Gordon quickly changing the subject.

"First time I saw a vampire, I was barely eighteen. Home alone with my sister. I hear the window break in her room. I grab my Dad's gun, run in. Try to get it off her. i was too late. So I shoot the damn thing, which of course if about as useful as snapping it with a rubber band. It rushes me, picks me up, flings me across the room, knocks me out cold. When I wake up, the vampires gone, my sister is gone."

"And then?"

"Then...try explaining that one to your family. So I left home. And then bummed around, looking for information. How you track them, how you kill them. And I found that fang. It was my first kill."

"Sorry about your sister."

"Yeah. She was beautiful. I can still see her, you know? The way she was."

"Bastard." I muttered as the image of Gordon decapitating his baby sister came into my mind.

"Like Mary here. Look after her Dean, you'll never know how much you love her until she's gone!"

"Trust me, nothings gonna happen to her." he smiled at me.

"I'm sorry about your sister too. Must have been hard, watching her die."

"Hey, that was a long time ago. I mean, your dad. It's gotta be rough."

"Yeah. Yeah, you know, he was just one of those guys. Took some terrible beatings and just kept coming. So you always saying to yourself, you know: "He's indestructible. He'll always be around. Nothing can kill my Dad." and then just like that: he's gone. I can't talk about this to Sammy. You know, I gotta keep my game face on. But er, but the truth is, I'm not handling it very well. I feel like I have this...."

"Hole inside you? And it just gets bigger and bigger and darker and darker? Good. You can use it. Keeps you hungry. Trust me. There's plenty out there needs killing and this'll help you do it. Dean, it's not a crime to need your job."

I just glared at him annoyed and shifted in my seat. I was jealous that Dean had opened up to this

complete stranger.

"Dean, are you okay?" I smiled at him comfortingly.

"Sure I am." He nodded and squeezed my hand.

"Okay." I took his word as the bartender gave me another coke. "Thank you."

"You look like you need it!" he grasped my shoulder before moving away.

"What's with him?" Dean glared at me.

"I'm not sure, but he's just a very nice guy."

Gordon took the bottle and sniffed it. "No vodka or anything else, so he hasn't spiked her."

"I didn't think her had!" I took it off him and drank it.

"Know why I love this life? It's all black and white. There's no maybe. You find the bad thing, kill it.

See most people spend their lives in shades of gray. Is this right, is that wrong? Not us."

"I'm not sure Sammy would agree with you, but er..."

"Doesn't seem like your brother's much like us. I'm not saying he's wrong, just different. You and

me, we're born to do this. It's in our blood."

That was it, I wasn't taking anymore. "Okay, I'm going back to the motel Dean." I got up.

"You can't walk back on your own." He corrected me.

"Trust me, I'll call Sammy to meet me half way. Then I'll call you when I get back."

"You'd better."

"Keep safe sweetie." Gordon saluted me with his glass.

"You too." I snapped back and left the bar muttering to myself. "Asshole." I dialled Sam's number in my Blackberry. "Sammy."

"Hey, Mary, where are you?"

"Huh, walking back from the bar. Gordon is still ass licking Dean! Could you meet me?"

"Sure, I'm on my way now! Stay where you are."

"Not planning on going anywhere!" I put the phone down and lent on the wall. I waited for about fifteen minutes before he appeared.

"Hey." he smiled at me.

"Hey Sammy." I let him place his arms around me. "Let's get back, it's cold!"

"I know!" he agreed as we walked.

"He killed his sister Sammy."

"Who?"

"Gordon. She was changed by a vampire and he killed her. I saw it all in his head."

He was silent for a little while. "Ellen said we can't trust him."

"If it's good enough for Ellen, it's good enough for me!" I nodded. "I don't want him to be around us anymore!"

"He won't be soon enough!" he assured me. "Come on, let's get you inside. You want a soda?"

"Thanks Sammy!" I went inside the room and he went to get the coke. I dialled Dean's phone. "Hey Dean."

"Hey, your okay?"

"Yes, I'm back in the room. Sam's gone for a soda. So I'll probably be asleep when you get back."

"No problem, I'll be quiet. Night."

"Night!" I smiled and I put my phone down. I threw it on the desk then I saw something. I made for the window. "Sam!" I shouted but into a hand.

"Shhh!" a voice hushed me and took me into the bathroom. "I'm not going to hurt you. You're a good girl!"

My breathing was going haywire as Sam came into the room and they jumped him to. They placed a bag over my head.

"Let me go!" I screamed. "Please, I've done nothing!"

"Mary, hold on!" Sam shouted at me. "You'll be okay, I promise..." his voice cut out.

"Sam! Sammy! If you've hurt him..."

"Shhh!" the kidnapper hushed me and placed me into a car before they drove off into the night.


	59. Chapter 59

The bag was taking off my head and my eyes adjusted to the light.

"Sam?" I looked to my left. It was the bartender who took Sam's bag off. Then his true nature showed. "Leave him alone leech!"

"Wait." It was a woman's voice. "Step back, Eli. My name's Lenore." She took Sam's gag off. "I'm not gonna hurt you. We just need to talk."

"Talk? Okay. But I might have a tough time paying attention to much bedsides Eli's teeth."

"He won't hurt you either. You have my word." Lenore assured us.

"Yeah right!" I scoffed, trying to take my rope off.

"Your word? Oh, yeah, great! Thanks, listen lady, no offence, but you're not the first vampire I've met."

"We're not like the others. We don't kill humans and we don't drink their blood. We haven't for a long time."

"You've been reading far too many novels lady!" I shook my head.

"What is this, some kind of joke?"

"Notice, you're still alive."

"Okay, correct me if I'm wrong here, but shouldn't you be starving to death?"

"We've found other ways: cattle blood."

"You're telling me you're responsible for all the--?"

"It's not ideal. In fact, it's disgusting. But it allows us to get by."

"What are you, Cullen rejects?" I muttered.

"Okay, why?"

"Survival. No deaths, no missing locals no reason for people like you to come looking for people like us. We blend in. our kind is practically extinct. Turns out we weren't quite as high up the food chain as we imagined."

"Why are we explaining ourselves to this killer?"

"Hey!" I defended my brother and myself.

"Eli!" Lenore stopped him.

"We choke on cow's blood so that none of them suffer? Tonight, they murdered Conrad and they celebrated."

"Eli, that's enough!"

"Hey, we didn't kill anyone! We didn't celebrate, I was pretty pissed all night and you know it! Lying bastard, pretending to be a hunter!"

"Yeah, Eli, that's enough!" Sam added in.

"What's done is done. We're leaving this town tonight."

"Then why did you bring us here? Why are you even talking to us?"

"Believe me, I'd rather now. But I know your kind. Once you have the scent, you'll keep tracking us. It doesn't matter where we go. Hunters will find us."

"So you're asking us not to follow?"

"We have a right to live. We're not hurting anyone."

"Right, so you keep saying. Give me one good reason why I should believe you."

She was in his face now "Fine. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to let you go. Take them back. Not a mark on them!" she backed off and we sat in shock.

"Dean is never going to believe us Sam!" I rubbed my wrists.

"We have to try him." Sam added and opened the door for us.

"Yeah, he is, but—" Dean was in. "Where you been?"

"Can I talk to you alone?" Sam asked him.

"You mind chilling out for a couple of minutes?" Dean asked and Gordon shook his head and we led him outside.

"Dean, maybe we gotta rethink this hunt?"

"What are you talking about? Where were you?"

Sam looked at me and I nodded. "In the nest."

"You found it? You took Mary with you?"

"They found us Dean." I corrected him before he threw punches.

"How'd you get out? How many did you kill?"

"None."

"Well Sammy, they didn't just let you go!"

"That's exactly what they did." He corrected his older brother.

"All right, well, where is it?"

"I was blindfolded, I don't know."

"More like bagged." I muttered in correction.

"Well. You gotta know something."

"We went over that bridge outside of town. Dean listen, maybe we shouldn't go after them."

"Why not?"

"They're not like other vampires. They're not killing people." I defended them.

"You're joking."

"No, I'm not Dean!"

"Then how do they stay alive, or undead, or whatever the hell they are?"

"The cattle mutilations. They said they live off animal blood."

"And you believed them?"

"Look at us Dean. They let us go without a scratch."

"Wait, so you're saying?" he looked at us like he was about to believe it. "No, man. No way. I don't

know why they let you go. I don't really care. We find them and we waste them."

"Why?"

"What part of vampires don't you understand Sam? If it's supernatural, we kill it. End of story, that's

our job."

"No, Dean, that is not our job! Our job is hunting evil! And if these things aren't killing people, then

they're not evil!"

"Of course they're killing people! That's what they do! They're all the same, Sam. They're not

human, okay? We have to exterminate every last one of them!"

"No, Dean. I don't think so, all right? No this time." I added in place of Sam.

"Gordon's been on those vamps for a year man, he knows."

"He's done a pretty piss poor job of it to!" I exclaimed.

"Gordon? You're taking his word for it?"

"That's right."

"Ellen says he's bad news."

"You called Ellen? And i'm supposed to listen to her? we barely know her Sam. No thanks. I'll go with

Gordon."

"Excuse me, I've known Ellen years! And you trusted her when you were trying to get into Jo's pants

last time we were there!"

"Right. Because Gordon's such an old friend. You don't think I can't see what this is?"

"What are you talking about?" Dean was getting pissed, even if his expression read calm.

"He's a substitute for Dad, isn't he? A poor one."

"Shut up, Sam."

"He's not even close, Dean! not on his best day!"

"You know what, I'm not even gonna talk—"

"You know what, you slap on this big fake smile but I can see right through it. Cause I know how you

feel Dean. Dads' dead, and he left a hole and it hurts so bad you can't take it. But you can't just fill

up that whole with whoever you want to. It's an insult to his memory!"

"Okay." Dean turned away but came back and punched Sam on the jaw.

"Dean!" I shouted at him. "God, Sammy, are you okay?" I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You hit me all you want. It won't change anything." Sam turned back to him.

"I'm going to that nest. You don't wanna tell me where it is, fine. I'll find it myself." Dean marched to

the motel room with Sam and I in pursuit of him.

"Dean!"

"Gordon?" Dean called out into the room.

"You think he went after them?"

"Probably." Dean nodded.

"Dean, we have to stop him." I pleaded with him.

"Really, Mary? Because I say we lend him a hand.

"Just give us the benefit of the doubt, would you? You owe us that."

"Yeah, we'll see. I'll drive. Give me the keys."

Sam looked at the cactus and sighed. "He snaked the keys!"

"Shit!" I muttered. "Looks like your gonna have to hot rod your baby Dean."


	60. Chapter 60

"I can't believe this. I just fixed her up too." He complained. "So the bridge, is that all you got?"

"The bridge was four and a half minutes from their farm." Sam concentrated on the map.

"How do you know?" Dean looked at him in disbelief.

"I counted. They took a left out of the farm, then they turned right onto a dirt road. Followed that

for two minutes, slightly uphill. Then they took another quick right and we hit the bridge."

"Holy cow Robin, what are you, a human sat nav!"

"You're good. A monster pain in the ass, but you're good!" Dean grinned as the car burst into life

and we sped off to the farmhouse.

"Well, he's here alright." I nodded to the car and got out.

"You..."

"Stay close, I get it Dean." I nodded as he handed me a gun and I hid it in my jeans. I kept next to

Sammy, guarding myself behind him. Gordon had Lenore tied to a chair, torturing her with dead

man's blood. He was dipping a knife into a jar and slicing her with it.

"Sam, Dean, Mary, come on in."

"Hey, Gordon, what's going on?" Dean asked him.

"Just poisoning Lenore here with some dead man's blood. She's gonna tell us where all her little

friends are, aren't you honey? Wanna help?"

"Look man—"

"Grab a knife. I was just about to start on the fingers." He smiled and I went to launch for him but

Sammy stopped me.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey, lets just all chill out, huh?"

"I'm completely chill."

"You sadasitic bas..."

"Gordon, put the knife down!" Sam stopped my swearing.

"Sounds like it's Sammy that needs to chill."

"Just step away from her, all right?"

"You're right. I'm wasting my time here. This bitch'll never talk." He pulled a bowie knife out. "Might

as well put her out of her misery. I just sharpened it so it's completely humane."

"Gordon, I'm letting her go!" I walked toward him.

"You're not doing a damn thing!" he pointed the knife at me.

"Hey, hey, hey, Gordon, lets talk about this."

"What's there to talk about? It's like I said, Dean, no shades of gray."

"Yeah, I hear you. And I know how you feel." Dean agreed with him.

"Do you?"

"The vampire that kill your sister deserved to die, but this—"

"Huh, tell him what really happened Gordon, who killed your baby sister!" I demanded of him.

"Killed my sister? That filthy fang didn't kill my sister. It turned her. Made her one of them. So I

hunted her down and killed her myself."

"You did what?" Dean looked disgusted. He was probably thinking how he would have reacted if it

was me.

"Wasn't my sister anymore. It wasn't human. I didn't blink. And neither would you!"

"So you knew all along then? You knew about the vampires. They weren't killing anyone. You knew

about the cattle and you just didn't care."

"Care about what? A nest of vampires suddenly acting nice? Taking a little time out, from sucking

innocent people and we're supposed to buy that? Trust me. Doesn't change what they are. And I can

prove it." He took me by the arm and slashed it with the knife.

"You son of a bitch!" I shouted through the pain.

"Let her go! Now!" Dean cocked the gun at him.

"Relax. If I wanted to kill her, she'd already be on the floor. Just making a little point!" he squeezed

me over Lenore and her teeth came out.

"Hey!"

"You think she's so different? Still wanna save her? Look at her. They're all the same. Evil,

bloodthirsty!"

Lenore's teeth retracted and I grinned in triumph and relief. "Really Gordon?"

"No, no." She muttered.

"You hear her, Gordon?"

"No, no." She continued and Gordon let go of me.

"We're done here." Sam added.

"Sam, get them out of here." Dean ordered him and he picked Lenore up. Gordon went to attack

him but Dean was too quick off the mark.

"Ah-a ah-a Gordon...I think you and I got some things to talk about." Dean grinned as we left.

Sam placed Lenore in her truck and I held onto my arm. Sam tore the bottom of his shirt and made a

make shift bandage for me, tying it tightly.

"Mary, follow in the Impala." He threw me the keys and I nodded.

"Dean is gonna love this!" I shook my head and got in the car and followed him into town. We found

Eli at the bar with the others. Sam carried Lenore to them.

"What the..." he began and his teeth came out.

"Hold on Eli, it wasn't us!" I informed him. "We stopped anything else from happening!"

"How do we know that?"

"I got injured to!" I showed him my arm.

"She's right....Eli...." Lenore added. "They saved..." Sam handed her over.

"Here." He threw the keys to another vampire. "Take her and go before Gordon gets loose!"

"Thank you little one!" Eli nodded at me.

"Anytime." I smiled at him and we got into the Impala and Sam drove us back.


	61. Chapter 61

"We miss anything?" Sam asked as Gordon was tied in a chair and Dean looked like hell warmed

over.

"Nah, not much. Lenore get out okay?" Dean concentrated his glare on Gordon.

"Yeah, all of them did."

"Then I guess our work here is done. How you doing, Gordy? You gotta tinkle yet?" he asked and

Gordon just glared at us. "All right, get comfy. We'' call someone in two or three days, have them

come out, untie you.

"Ready to go Dean?" I asked him gently.

"Not yet. I guess this is goodbye. You ever come near her again...Well, it's been real..." he cracked

Gordon so the chair fell with him on it. "Okay, I'm good now, we can go." He led me out by the

shoulders and Sam followed.

"Sam." He stated.

"Yeah?"

"Clock me one."

"What?"

"Come on. Come one. I won't even hit you back. Let's go!" he wound himself up.

"No."

"Let's go. You get a freebie. Hit me, come on!"

"I'll do it!" I raised my hand and Sam just rolled his eyes at me.

"You look like you just went twelve rounds with a block of cement, Dean. I'll take a rain check."

"I wish we never took this job. It's jacked everything up." Dean complained.

"What do you mean?"

"Think about all the hunts we went on Sammy, our whole lives."

"Okay."

"What if we killed things that didn't deserve killing? I mean, the way Dad raised us—"

"Dean, after what happened to Mom, Dad did the best he could."

"I know he did. But the man wasn't perfect. And the way he raised use to hate those things? And,

man, I hate them. I do. When I killed that vampire at the mill I didn't even think about it. Hell, i even

enjoyed it."

"You didn't kill Lenore."

"No, but ever instinct told me to. I was gonna kill her, I was gonna kill them all."

"Yeah, Dean, but you didn't and that's what matters." I smiled at him.

"Yeah, and because you two are a pain in my ass."

"I guess we might have to stick around and be a pain in the ass then."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Sam smirked as we got in the car.

"So, which one of you is going to explain to Bobby how my arm got slashed and my homework didn't

get done?"

"Dean can do it! I did it last time!" Sam got in there first.

"Okay." I smiled. "Least Danny will be back now for a few days."

"Yeah, where did he go?" Sam asked, he was the brother who actually took the interest in Danny.

Not just planning on how to kill him.

"His Dad's business. He needs to look after it, whilst he's in the hospital."


	62. Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things

**A/N- I know it has been so long since I uploaded or even wrote. Anyway, this has been sitting in the laptop a while so I'm going to get the ball rolling and try to update every week and possibly start a blog soonish. Please review and critique, let me know of any ideas you have for mary concerning the later series. I have too many directions to go in!**

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Standing on the side of a cold road in the middle of a January night wasn't the most fun I had ever had in my life. I knew something was wrong; Dad was on the other side of the road and for all I felt compelled to go to him and have him hold me. He didn't want that he was warning me to go back, not to cross the empty road. But I did, slowly and surely each foot went out in front of the other. He was screaming at me, shouting, I couldn't hear him at all, I was straining to pick up any sound. So much so that I didn't have time to notice the car and headlights comes screeching toward me. I braced my body for the impact that would no doubt kill me.


	63. Chapter 63

It didn't kill me; instead the car just drove through me like a gush of wind, leaving me breathless as I heard the crash of metal into a nearby steady oak. The collision would have killed its young driver on impact.

That was the point at which I jumper up in bed, too exhausted to scream out for help. I quickly scanned the darkness for any sort of sign of John Winchester, so many times I'd woke up from these nightmares to see him standing there, looking over his daughter as she slept.

But there was no John standing there, instead Daddy lay there, next to me, looking up at me with a measure of tiredness on my face. I felt his hand stroke my back in comfort. My nightmares were taking their toll on his sleep pattern too.

"You okay Mary?" he sat up and kissed the back of my neck, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Yeah, I think so." I smiled a little. "The nightmares...visions...whatever they are, are getting worse, more frequent. I just wish they had some sort of purpose to them."

"They do, you saved lives with everyone you've had." he held me closer.

"But the people in them always die, or have died, the way I've seen it." I let out a tear and as if Danny could see them, he brushed them from my cheeks.

"It'll make itself clear in time, I promise." he kissed my temple and I turned my head to kiss him deeply. "Come here." he pulled me back to lay down, my head on his chest. "You have a gift Mary Ellen."

"From a demon?" I shook my head and buried it into his skin. "Least Sam's are connected to Yellow eyes, mine aren't, and they are just random people who may or may not have some connection to the supernatural."

"Shhh" he hushed me gently. "Go back to sleep, I'm right here, even though I'm no John Winchester."

"Hush up yourself!" I scolded him and looked up at his face. "You're Danny Singer, and I love you!"

"I love you too." He grinned and let me fall asleep encased in his arms.

Danny had disappeared early in the morning to pick up breakfast; I felt that kiss on my forehead as he left and the 'I love you' whispered in my ear. When I came too, I heard them all talking in the kitchen, I padded down the stairs in my pyjamas, my hair tied up. They were arguing quietly, but at least they were sitting at the table together. I kissed Danny's cheek and took a piece of toast from the table. Moving to get the lucky charms from the cupboard, I sat back down, they'd all gone silent.

"Okay, what is it?" I looked around the boys and not one of them answered. "You don't answer; I'll stab one of you with a fork."

"No stabbing, please." Danny knew I meant it.

"Whipped man..." Dean muttered.

"Hey, asshole, be nice!" I threw a spoon and hit his head.

"Bitch!" he exclaimed.  
"Tell me what's going on!"

Sam was trying not to laugh and broke first. "I wanted to go visit mom's grave."  
"So what's stopping you?"

"Me, it's a stupid idea." Dean explained.

"To you, maybe, you have memories of Mary, Sam doesn't. The least you can do is humour him and go with."

"Ouch." Danny muttered.

"You play nicely too!" I scolded him just the same.

"Would you come with us?" Sam asked me.

"Why? Mary hated me when her ghost saw me. It's your thing, not mine Sammy."

"The least you can do is humour him." Dean quoted me and I scowled.

"Okay, I'll go! But no hunting, or finding anything to hunt, I have papers due!" I washed my plates up. "I'll go pack, and you three, try not to kill each other."


	64. Chapter 64

**AN/ Sorry that has taking me so long to get back to this, life has kinda been happening so fast lately, anyway, the tales of Mary continue, so have fun! **

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The three didn't last long; Danny was up the stairs after me, glaring as I packed.

"Oh, come on, I'll be away two days, at the most." I begged him to understand.

"Last time you said that, you were gone a week."  
"Danny, I'm not going to run off and leave you." I folded things up and he stood behind me, his arms around my waist as he kissed my neck. "Baby, I need to pack."

"I know you do." He turned me in his arms and kissed me slowly and passionately, the way he knew would make my knees buckle.

"I really, really, really need to pack." still my eyes closed and I pressed on him.

"You really need something." he pinned me down on the bed and lay over me. "Badly."

"I know, just not now, I haven't got time, and I don't want it to be a quickie first time Danny. I want it to last for hours." I stroked his chest.

"Then let me do something else for you?"

"Isn't that usually the girl's line?" I muttered playfully as he took off my top and kissed over the curves of my breasts and torso.

"Mary!" Dean shouted up the stairs and I moaned in annoyance.

"Ignore him..." Danny muttered in my ear.

"I can't...he'll come up the stairs.."

"Mary Ellen!" Dean shouted again, it was unbelievable how much he sounded like John when he got pissed off.

"What?" I shouted back, frustrated as Danny continued his kissing games.

"You ready to go?"

"Not yet!" I shouted back and giggled as his nose pressed on my tummy.

"I'm gonna come up those stairs and kick your pretty little ass into next year soon!"

"I'm sorry Danny...you know he will baby." I got up out from under him and packed my things up quickly, avoiding the sulking face. He still carried by bag out to the Impala and placed it in the boot.

"You boys take care of that little lady, you hear?" Bobby scolded them.

"We will, as long as she behaves herself." Dean smiled sarcastically and I rolled my eyes.

"I'll be good I swear it." I hugged him tightly and then said goodbye to Danny. That meant a kiss that he didn't want to break, which made me smile.

"Okay, break it, lets get moving!" Dean shouted and I smiled, going back in for another "Hey, I said break it up!"

"Okay, okay!" I still kissed Danny sweetly once more and got into the back of the car, a shit eating grin on my face as I felt my phone vibrate with a text message.

"Seriously, we haven't even gotten out of the yard yet!" Dean moaned.

"Leave her alone Dean." Sam stuck up for me and I smiled in thanks, pulling my sunglasses on and the hood of my jacket up.

It was silent in the car on the journey there, they didn't like the fact that their little sister was growing up in front of them and I had therefore been demoted to back seat duty.

"Come on, Sam, I'm begging you. This is stupid." Dean put his foot down again and I rolled my eyes.

"Why?" Sam asked him in return.

"Going to visit Mom's grave? She doesn't even have a grave. There was no body left after the fire."

"Dean that really doesn't matter."

"She has a headstone."

"Yeah, put up by her Uncle, man we've never even met. So you wanna go pay your respects to a slab of granite put up by a stranger? Come on."

"I've met him; he's a very nice guy actually!"

"Thanks Mary." Sam smiled at me and I nodded. "Dean, that's not the point."

"Well then, enlighten me Sam."

"It's not about a body or a casket. It's about her memory, okay? And after dad, it just feels the right thing to do."

"It's irrational, is what it is."

"Look, man, no one asked you to come!"

"Really? Why wasn't I allowed to do that?" I was pushing it and I knew it, but rebelling was sometimes the only way to get through to Dean.

He ignored me, well and truly that time, he was determined not to go.

"Why don't we swing by the Roadhouse instead? I mean, we haven't heard anything on the demon lately. We should be hunting that son of a bitch down." he was almost begging now.

"That's a good idea, you should. Just drop me off, I'll hitch a ride and I'll meet you there tomorrow."

"That's not going to happen; you can't leave me with Dean." I leant forward onto the space between them in the front. I got the glare from the oldest Winchester, like I knew I would.

"Right, I'll be stuck with those people, making awkward small talk until you show up. No thanks."

"Oh come on Dean, you'll get to see Jo again." I smiled and Sammy chuckled. Dean however was not impressed and I went back to being curled up on the back seat.


	65. Chapter 65

Dean parked the Impala and kept his disapproving glare fixed on his face as Sam checked that he had the right plot number.

"You feeling okay?" I asked him gently and grasped his arm.

"Sure I am, it's just you know, closure for it all." he shrugged and we began to walk, and Dean followed, keeping his distance from us, making it clear how crappy he thought this idea was.

"Least you got that with John... I mean..." I took a breath and held in the tears that threatened to fall.

"Still not used to calling him dad yet then?" he tried to lighten the mood for me.

"No, not really. I don't think I ever will be to be honest with you. I love the fact I have two older brothers now, but it's just what he did, mom wasn't an ideal candidate for a relationship."

"I don't think anyone would have been Mary. Things happen."

"Mistakes happen you mean." I was bitter about the fact I hadn't been a part of a fathers plan, but then again, who was these days?

"You were a pretty fantastic mistake then." he tried again to comfort his whiny brat of a sister.

"Thanks Sam." I smiled a little and stopped a little further back from him, letting him have his time alone with his thoughts and words. Whilst Sammy spent time at the headstone, Dean was milling around. I was keeping a close eye on him as he looked around. I knew he would find trouble and he did, something had caught his eye. I rolled my own eyes and let him get on with it.

I enjoyed being in the silence of this place, most teenagers would never be seen in a graveyard, but it comforted me. To know that some people died of old age or natural causes. No demons, or poltergeists, vampires, werewolves, wendigo's or anything that came under the classification of nasty fugly supernatural being. I closed my eyes and revelled in the silence, as long as I was awake, nothing nasty would happen or come for me. Sammy brushed my arm after a little while and nodded towards Dean with that frown on his face that make his forehead scrunch.

"I knew he'd find something." I rolled my eyes and took a deep breath, making my way toward him. "What is it?"

"What is it, seriously?" he rose an eyebrow and I matched the expression. "Look around you."

"Could be anything, pesticides..." I fought my corner but was ignored with a scowl.

"I'm going to ask questions, you two, wait here."

"Wasn't planning on going anywhere, you have the car keys." I scowled as he left. "He just had to."

"Let him get on with it Mary, he needs this I think."

He returned, a smug look on his face, ignoring my scowling as I kept my hands firmly under my arms, not daring to move them encase I slapped his head.

"Angela Mason. She was a student at the local college. The funeral was three days ago."

"And?" Sammy looked as unimpressed as I did.

"And, you saw her grave. Everything dead around it in a perfect circle. You don't think that's a little weird?"

"Maybe the groundskeeper went a little agro with the pesticide."

"Thank God, some sense in all of this." I chipped in, this was one of those times I did not want to be hunting in any way shape or form. Neither did Sammy.

"No, no, I asked him. No pesticide, no chemicals, nobody can explain it. "

"Okay, so what are you thinking?" Sam humoured him this time; there was really nothing else you could do when Dean got an idea in his head.

"I don't know, unholy ground maybe?"

"Un..." I began and bit my tongue, keeping my thoughts to myself.

"What? If something evil happened there, it could easily poison the ground. Remember the farm outside of Ceder Rapids?"

" Yeah?"

"Could be the sign of a demonic presence. Or the Angela girl's spirit if it's powerful enough."

Dean was adamant that he was right and Sam and I could do was nod and agree with him, but where I did this on the inside, Sam always found it harder to hide his emotions. He actually nodded and walked off, making us follow in his stead. I was wishing beyond everything else that I had actually said no and stayed on the lot.

"Well don't get too excited, you might pull something." Dean was annoyed, bordering on being pissed with us both.

"It's just stumbling onto a hunt? Here, of all places?"

"So?" he was so fast to retort, it was as if he was being defensive as they both stood either side of the car.

"So, are you sure this about a hunt? Not about something else?"

"oh great, this is going to a fantastic trip." i muttered under my breath to myself and proceeded to play with my nails.

"What else would it be about?" the forearms were locked in contact with the car as he glared.

Sam gave up and took a long sigh to contain his word vomit being exposed.

"You know what, just forget it." he opened the from door and I clambered over the front seat into the back to avoid being involved in another Winchester family drama.

"You can believe what you want Sam, but I let you drag my ass out here, the least we can do is check this out."  
"Yep, fine." Sammy was short when he was pissed off, the sulking trait was one the demon children seemed to share.

"Girls dad works in town. He's a professor at the school."

"Oh fun fun fun." I took a breath and looked out of the window.


	66. Chapter 66

"So this is where her dad works." I got out of the car, looking up at the older building. Students were milling around the place and rather than feel a pang of jealously as I would normally, I was actually relieved that in a few years time, that would not be me. "The faculty of the arts, archaeology and Greek studies, because nothing screams necromancy like..."  
"Mary, just play along and let him do this, we won't hear the last of it until we do." Sam scolded me a little and I scowled at him.

"You do know I could be home now, studying, with the biggest coffee you've ever seen..."

"In other words, you'd be getting laid right now if it wasn't for your brother protecting you." Dean grinned at his own forwardness and I would have hit him, harder than he would have liked, had I not controlled my anger as we entered the building. Sam was chuckling a little and i glared at him.

"Shut up Sam."

"didn't say a thing."

"Okay, you two, quit the bitching, we need to act like adults." Dean glared at his younger siblings before knocking on the door. We waited silently for someone to answer, there was a little shuffling and an older man came to the door. I felt bad that it was probably the case that Angela had been his only child, his wife died when he was a lot younger as a case of a terminal illness.

"Dr. Mason?" Dean asked out of politeness rather than an actual question.

"Yes?"

"I'm Sam, this is Dean and Mary."

I smiled and waved politely "Hey, we were friends of Angela's. We...we wanted to offer our condolences."

"Please, come in." he smiled at me and I led the way. I knew that he would find it easier coming from a girl rather than a couple of boys. "Please, take a seat." he pulled another one up for me and I took it willingly. There was a photo album on the table, open, he was finding it hard to let his little girl go, but I knew that didn't condone him bringing her back from the dead. Sam and Dean looked at me in awe, as if they couldn't believe their little sister had it in her to be nice and play along.

"Are these of Angela?" I smiled at him and he nodded to let me take the picture album, looking through them as if I was a true friend.

"She was beautiful." Sam smiled with me, Dean was too busy doing his research, looking through books to get his clues.

"Yes she was." Dr. Mason smiled at the pictures with us.

Dean pulled a book off the shelf, flicking through its pages, its leather old and the leaves yellow with age. "This is an unusual book."

"Oh, it's Ancient Greek, I teach a course." The old man was shocked out of his reminiscing and both Sam and I scowled at Dean so he put the book back on the shelf and joined us.

"So, a car accident, that's...that's horrible..." Dean began to get back on the track we needed him to be on.

"Angie was only a mile away from home when..." He took a breath, holding onto the tears, I took his hand and squeezed it gently, if anything, I understood the loss he felt more than anything.

"It's gotta be hard, loosing someone like that. Sometimes it's like they're still around...almost like you can still sense their presence. You ever feel anything like that?"

I let go of the doctor's hand and let Sam take over the glaring at Dean, tact wasn't something he had ever been good at in his life.

"I do, as a matter of fact." he agreed.

"That's perfectly normal, Dr. Mason. Especially with what you're going through."

"You know, I still phone her. And the phone's ringing before I remember that...err..."

"It's fine Dr. Mason, I know how that is."

"You do?" he looked at me with wide eyes, holding onto the tears.

"I do, I lost my parents recently, and I still call their cells, it's good to hear their voices every time I feel alone." I held back on my own tears and ignored the looks from both of my elder brothers.

"Family's everything, you know? Angie was the most important thing in my life. And now, I'm just lost without her." he muttered.

Both Sam and I were feeling his pain but Dean was acting detached and bored which was pissing both of his siblings off to no end, thinking about how he should have had a little more sympathy for the man in front of us.

"We're very sorry." Sam smiled at him gently.

We left the office of the Doctor in silence; all three of us were being affected by this in different ways. Sam let me back into the car and I curled up on the back seat, my legs under me as I looked out of the window into the rain.

"Mary?" Sam turned and looked at me, I avoided his gaze because I knew he's make me cry with just one small part of eye contact. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not Sam..." I snapped at him, acting detached was going to be my way through this. He left it at that as we pulled into the motel, I claimed my bed before Dean could get a say in the matter, leaving him with his sofa of choice. Sam went to the bathroom, leaving me with the hunt-starved dick with his journal as his guide.

"I'm telling you there's defiantly something going on; we just haven't found it yet."

"Dean, so far you got a patch of dead grass and nothing." Sam was drying his hands off in the bathroom.

"Well, something turned that grave into unholy ground." he fought his corner.

I took a breath, attempting to calm myself as I tried my hardest to get distracted by the book in my hands; homework had to be done but Dean's hunger for the hunt was growing, I chewed on my thumbnail, knowing that there was a fight brewing.

"There's no reason for it to be unholy ground. Angela Mason was a nice girl who died in a car crash. That's not exactly vengeful-spirit material. You heard her father." he turned to face him and I waited patiently.

"That's the normal, rational answer we've been searching for this whole time." I smiled sarcastically.  
"Yeah, well, maybe daddy doesn't know everything there is to know about his little angel huh?" he tried to lighten the mood.

"Angela doesn't seem to be the slutty type Dean."

"Yeah well, neither do you." He took a dig at me and rather then get angry, I fought back on the tears, my heart pounding in my chest as a tear fell.

"You know what? We never shouldn't bother that poor man. We shouldn't even be here anymore." Sam looked at me and nodded, and I nodded back letting him know I was okay, he was more than likely going to make up for his brothers crappy behaviour towards his little sister who up until recently he doted on.

"So what, Sam? We just bail? Without even figuring out what's going on?"

"I think I know what's going on here. it's the reason i went along with you this far."

"What are you talking about?"

"Sam, leave it alone." I begged him not to begin this argument, because I knew there would be no end to it.

"This is about mom's grave."  
He looked at Sam and snorted in disbelief. "It's got nothing to do with it."

"You wouldn't step within 100 yards of it." he began to argue back, knowing he was right as Dean attempted to ignore it. "Look, maybe you're imagining a hunt where there isn't one...so you don't have to think about mom or dad."

"Oh God, here we go." I rubbed my head and looked between them; Dean was glaring at Sammy, as if he was ready to punch him square in the jaw.

"You wanna take another swing? Go ahead, it it'll make you feel better." he took a sigh and he shook his head, he was exasperated.

"I don't need this crap." he swiped the leather jacket from the table and his car keys, moving to the door of the motel room.

"Dean, where are you going?"

"I'm gonna go get a drink, alone." he aimed his final jibe at both of us as he left us in the room to contemplate his denial.


	67. Chapter 67

Sam and I sat in silence a little while, playing with my finger nails as I abandoned my book, leaving it on the bed.

"Mary, are you okay?" he sat on the bed next to me, stroking my shoulder lightly.

"I told you I wasn't before Sam." I took a deep breath, holding my head back a little to stop the tears from rolling.

"Have you eaten recently?"

"Not since we left Sioux Falls." I shrugged before rubbing my forehead.

"Come on, we'll get you fed, you need to eat." he smiled gently at me and I smiled back softly, my bottom lip trembling a little but I kept it still as much as I could, walking out with him to the motel diner. I took a seat and let Sam order for me, looking around and avoiding the glares of men I used to revel in at one point. He placed a burger and fries in front of me, a side salad with it with the biggest hot chocolate with the most marshmallows I had even seen which made me giggle a little.

"That's better." he smirked a little and sat opposite me. "You're not moving until that's all gone, you hear me."

"yep, loud and clear." i smiled and dipped the fry into the ketchup. "You're too much like dad sometimes, it's scary."

"i think that's the first time you've called him dad, Mary."

"i know." i shrugged and ate a little. "i just never felt that connection before, it's hard to wrap my head around it."

"he loved you, more than you know." he smiled but left the subject when i threatened to leave the food. "so you and danny?"  
"don't sam, i have enough of it from dean."

"hey, i'm not going to lecture you at all. it's up to you when you decide to sleep with him, you guys are pretty serious now."  
"he's helped me through so much sam. he was there with mom and he looked after me when dad..." i took a breath. "i'm not trying to repay him by sleeping with him at all. we've held off for so long, longer than i thought we would."

"i wish your mom was here for this conversation."

"you're the closet thing. bobby would freak, dean would kill..." i wiped a tear away.

"hey hey hey, you're not a slut or anything like that." he brushed the tear away. "you're the best little sister we could wish for. even if you're stubborn and rude and short tempered and..."

"thanks sam." i laughed with him, matching his crooked grin.

"you're all those things, but you're not what dean accused you of. he just doesn't know how to deal with this all."

"None of us do, but you don't see us calling each other out." I shrugged.

"eat up, drink up..." he pushed the hot chocolate to me "then we'll go back and you can sleep." he smiled.

When we did get back, i was calmed down and in somewhat of a better mood, more than ready for my bed. i showered and when i was changed into clean clothing, i went to sleep on top of the cover, doubling the pillow over as i drifted off into my dreams.

When I woke, I was in the corner of an unfamiliar room, cold but not alone. There was a man on the couch, nursing a bear as he watched the flat screen. it was Angela, her beautiful face there, immortalised as, who i presumed to be, him, chasing her with a camera. He was pleased as he watched the screen, but obviously sad at the same time. he paused it on a close up of her. i wanted nothing mo than to comfort him and tell him that even though he was probably a dick of a boyfriend, it wasn't his fault she was gone, even though that was a lie. so i stepped forward, the plant beside me withering in my presence it seemed, but i wasn't the only girl in the room with him. Someone else was there, out of the corner of my eye as she let him see her in the screen. he didn't get time to scream as she rushed forward and slit his throat spraying the tv with arterial blood as i let out a scream and jolted from the scene in my head into a more conscious state.

"Mary, Mary, Mary!" Sam was trying to calm me as I thrashed around a little on the bed, before jolting up into his arms, sobbing my heart out onto his shoulder as i held onto him with all i hand. His hand held onto my head as the other ran up and down my back, the way i remembered john doing when I was a lot younger than i was now. "It's okay, I've got you now, and nothing's going to harm you."

"Why me Sammy? What did I do to deserve this shit?"

"I don't know, none of us do yet, but we'll work it out, you know that right?" he pulled back and took my face in his hands, kissing my forehead gently as I nodded.

"I hope to god its soon, i can't cope with this any longer, i just want it over with."

"There will be a reason to them."

"What reason? Yours are connected to yellow eyes, but mine, i can't even save anyone, and they always come too late."

"Was it a vision this time?" he looked at me with his puppy dog eyes.

"Yes, it was Angela, she slit her boyfriend's throat, i don't know how it was her, but it was. she wasn't a ghost though..she was too solid..."

"Okay, okay, just calm down and take a breath." he brushed my hair back behind my ear. "this isn't just about Angela though is it? you're like dean bottling this all up."

"I've lost my mother and the father i never knew i had in a week. It's just taking its toll. i wanted him there forever, i thought mom would be there forever, but then how could they be? They were hunters." i took a breath. "then there's the whole school thing. actually being here...i wanted to go...i have no idea what to do...but i wanted to go, now i don't think i ever will."

"How do you work that one out? you know i'll make sure you'll get there."  
"sam, you know i'll never get there. i doubt we'll be alive after this year."

"Don't talk like that, you know dean and i will never let anything happen to you, no matter what happens to us. You'll be alive after all of this."

"none of us will die? you know that's a little too optimistic."

"someone has to be optimistic in all of this."

"you be optimistic for me and I'll be the same for you Sammy." i smiled, laughing a little.

"Pinkie promise on it?" he smirked holding his little finger up and i did the same, interlocking them together. "Good, now go to sleep. I'll wake you when dean comes back."

"He'll come back; he always does, after he's had his fill of alcohol." i settled back into sleep, this time without the panicked dreams.


	68. Chapter 68

When I did wake up the next morning, Sam was already milling around, he had been for breakfast and most probably had not slept all night. I got up quietly and went to get ready, dressing as fresh as I could with what little I had. I even managed to put some make up for the day ahead. Dean would be gloating and I would have to be prepared for that.

"Sammy, I'm gonna go get breakfast, you want anything?"

"You want me to come with you?"

"Nah, I'll be fine, I've gotta make a phone call to Danny, if I'm not gonna make it this week, he needs to know." I smiled and he nodded.

"Be safe." he informed me and I nodded back at him, leaving the room into the fresh air of the morning. I began to walk around a bit, buying a coffee and a bagel, just walking aimlessly without an actual destination. I sat on the wall, just waiting, waiting for that engine so I could run back to the brother who not twelve hours ago called me a whore. No such engine came, but I took the cell phone out of my pocket, flicking through the phonebook, stopping on Danny's number. I took a breath, calling the number, knowing he would not answer because he would still be in bed.

"Hey Danny, it's me, I just wanted to let you know that I love you and I'm safe. Dean found a case, which isn't a surprise really, Dean finding a case under his state of mind. I just wish you were here to help me see the sense in all of this. Anyway, I love you, more than you know." I pressed the end call button, but rather than closing the phone, I scrolled through the numbers again, finding the name i wanted. John Winchester, I smiled through my heartache, if anyone could make me feel better, it would have been him. He would have knocked sense into dean by now, made him see the sense he had been missing all along, but then again, he would have beat the shit out of Danny too. Still, I called his cell, the one I had, and sat there, listening to the voice on the other end. That gruff old worn voice was all i needed to feel safe.

"You weren't lying then?" Dean came from nowhere, sitting on the wall next to me. I took a breath as he looked at the floor, guilty as charged, sorry too for what he'd said last night.

"Nope." i closed the cell and put in my pocket, replacing it with the coffee to play with.

"What I said, it was out of order."  
"Damn right it was Dean." I snapped back at him. "I miss him too Dean, perhaps more than I do my mom. but you, you just have to take your anger out on me again, like i wanted to hear that from you, of all people that I'm the biggest whore in the world, as if Danny is corrupting me."  
"Mary, just stop. I said I was sorry okay, and I am all right. I just think you're rushing into things with him."

"He has a name."  
"Fine, with Danny. A year ago, you were a good kid, you did your homework, went to school, a grade A geek like Sam." He tried to lighten the mood a little.  
"A year ago I had a mother who cared and an Uncle who visited in every now and then and two cousins, who basically, at the bottom of them didn't give a shit about me..."  
"That's not true Mary..."  
"yes it is dean, and you know it. You didn't even recognise me that time in oasis plains. i really have nothing left now, all I have to hold onto, is the fact that someday I might have a normal life..."  
"and you think Danny is the answer?"  
"yes I do, whether you want to accept that or not."

"Look, I'm sorry it's hard for you, but it's hard for all of us right now." he took a breath. "You had a nightmare I'm guessing?" he looked at the coffee and i handed it to him, letting him take a swig.

"Yep, unfortunately for me and Sam, you were right. Angela, killed her boyfriend last night, slit his throat. But by shit eating grin on your face, you already knew that didn't you chuckles."

"Yes I did." he smirked and we walked back to the motel room together, not giving Sam much of a chance as he opened the door.

That awkward moment, when you catch your brother watching porn, is not exactly the best one in a girl's life, but Dean found it amusing.

"Hey." he muttered and shuffled awkwardly on the bed, turning off the TV as quickly as he could.

"Awkward." was the one word that summed up the whole scene for him

"I would have gone for mortifying, but you know." I sat back on the chair, picking up the book I had left last time.

"where the hell were you?" he interrogated his older brother.

"I was working my imaginary case." he placed his coat next to the TV and I watched his eye line, following it and i took a breath.

"That wasn't there when i left him this morning, promise you that." i muttered and went back to the page i was on.

"yeah? and?" sam was determined not to be proving wrong by his older brother.

"oh, well, you were right, i didn't find much. yeah, except Angela's boyfriend died last night, slit his own throat. but, you know, that's normal. let's see, what else? oh, he was seeing Angela everywhere before he died. but, you know, i'm sure that's just me transferring my own feelings."

"No need to gloat." i smirked and he glared back at me.

"okay, i get it. i'm sorry. maybe there is something going on here."

"maybe?" he stood up, raising his voice at the two of us. "sam, i know how to do my job, despite what you might think."

"we should check out the guy's apartment."

he took his seat and pulled off his boats, settling back in. "I just came from there, a pile of dead plants, just like at the cemetery. hell, a dead goldfish too."

"and i was so looking forward to that task."

"so, unholy ground?" sam and dean were ignoring their little sister's sarcastic comments for now.

"Maybe. i'm still not getting that powerful angry-spirit vibe from angela. i have been reading this, though." he moved, rifling through his bag and threw the pink diary from the holdall.

"you stole the girls diary?" he looked at him with a smirk.

"yeah sam. and if anything, the girls a little too nice."

"so what do you wanna do?"

"keep digging, talk to more of her friends."

"you got any names?"

"you kidding me? i have her bestest friend in the whole wide world." he threw the diary at sam.

"oh i'm so glad i don't keep a diary for you two to look at."

"That would be evidence." Sam smirked and chuckled a little.


	69. Chapter 69

Before I knew it, we were back at the hunt, standing on some random guys porch, spinning a web of lies to get whatever answers we needed from him. This time, we were grief counsellors, all ready and willing to listen to any complaint the victim had. We were the oddest-looking counsellors I had ever pictured in my head.

"I didn't realize the college employed grief counsellors." he was buying this less than I actually believed it myself.

"Oh yeah, yeah. You talk, we listen and maybe throw in a therapeutic collage. Whatever helps jump start the healing." Dean was attempting to overdo it and succeeding, he wanted answers and nothing was going to stop him.

"Well, I think I'm okay. Thanks."

"Well, you heard what happened to Matt Harrison, right?" Sam interjected, trying to get some sort of emotion from him.

"Yeah, I did."  
"Well, we just wanted to make sure you were okay. Greif can make people do crazy things." I was tired of keeping my mouth shut and if anyone could get emotion out of a man, or a boy in this case, it would be me.

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened to him, I am. But if Matt killed himself, it wasn't because of grief."

"No? Then why?"

"It was guilt. Angie's death was Matt's fault and he knew it."

"How was Matt responsible?" Sam looked at him with confusion.

"Well, she really loved that guy. But the night of the accident, she walked in on him with another girl." Neil was set in his mind and I knew he was right. "She was really torn up. That's why she crashed the car. Erm, look, I gotta get ready for work. So thanks for the concern, but seriously, I'll be okay." he shut the door and left us all looking at each other before we walked down the porch steps and down the street.

"Well, that vengeful-spirit theory is starting to make a little more sense. I mean, hell hath no fury. "

"So if Angela got her revenge on Matt, do you think it's over?" Sam added in.

"Well, there's one way to be sure." Dean got into the car, followed by the younger two.

"Yeah? What's that?"

"burn the bones."

"Oh Jesus save us, are you on crack, has your brain grown legs and scuttled out of your ear lobes?" the thought of a rotten corpse was not something I wanted to dwell on, never mind see for real.

"Burn the bones? Are you high? Angela died last week"

"So?"  
"so there's not gonna be bones. there's gonna be a ripe rotting body in the coffin."  
"since when are you afraid to get dirty, huh?" Dean smirked as we drove off.  
"I'm not getting dirty." I sat in the back of the car, my arms folded and my mouth pouting.


	70. Chapter 70

"I told you I'm not getting dirty." I looked at the two of them, only Sam was dreading the result. Both of them heaving the dirt out from around the coffin and I took a deep breath as they reached the bottom.

"Ladies, first." Dean grinned and we both groaned.  
"Hold that." Sam handed the eldest the flashlight. We all took a breath as the coffin lid opened and my eyes closed tightly. I could prepare for the smell, but not the site.

"You're okay Mary, it's safe to look." Sam comforted me and I opened them slowly, not believing him.

"They buried the body four days ago."

"I don't get it." He muttered and Dean handed me the flashlight and I investigated myself.

"Look." I held the light over the coffin lid; something had been inscribed into its lid.

"What is that?" Dean asked the geek.

"I'm not sure."

"Don't ask me, but I bet it's not good." I took a deep breath.

"I've seen these kinds of symbols before." Deans face was set in anger as a realisation hit him and I let out a silent groan at the thought of the hell that would reach us over the next few days.

I knew my feelings on Dean's future behaviour would be right, because the next day we were back at 's house with Dean slamming on the door.

"Calm down!" I muttered to him but I was met with a glare and a shared look of concern from Sam.

"Dean, take it easy okay?" Sam joined in the intervention but the oldest of us was having none of it. finally the door opened and appeared with a bemused expression on his worn tried to keep the conversation civil.

"We need to talk!" Dean commanded the old man leaving him confused at the door and all Sam and I could do was to give him an apologetic look.

"Well, then, come in." he invited us in with all the hospitality he had in him, letting us pass him and dean took the opportunity like a bull in a china store.

"Thanks." I smiled at him as Sam and I followed sheepishly into the house.

"You teach ancient Greek. tell me... " He took the piece of paper from his pocket and gave it to the confused man who could only humour him. "What are these?" he demanded to know.

"I don't understand. You said this had something to do with Angela." He looked between us all confused and clearly upset by the discovery.

"it does, please, just humour me." deans jaw was set in anger and his determination was all over his physique.

"They're part of an ancient Greek divination ritual."

"Used for necromancy, right? "

"That's right." was all he could answer and i clearly knew he had nothing to do with his daughters return from the grave, otherwise he would have covered his own tracks a little more carefully than he had done.

"See, before we came over here, we stopped by the library and did a little homework ourselves. Apparently, they use rituals like this one for communicating with the dead. Even bringing corpses back to life, full-on zombie action. "

"Yeah. I mean, according to the legends." he handed dean his piece of paper back and his confusion was turning into anger. "Now, what's all this about?"

"I think you know." dean was now fuming at the fact that could be lying and most probably was.

"Dean." Sam warned him as i watch worried that he would do something in anger that we would have to literally bury.

"Look, I get it. okay? there are people that i would give anything to see again. But what gives you the right? " He was in the mans face now and he was literally shaking in his own anger and determination to prove a point.

"Dean!" i shouted this time and tried to bring him to his senses.

"What are you talking about? " his lined face looked at us for support.

"What's dead should stay dead!" Dean fully blasted at the man.

"What? " he thought we were all over the cuckoos nest, dean for believing the crap and us for letting him get on with his interrogation.

"Stop it!" Sam was shouting now and we all began to get equally pissed at dean.  
"What you brought back isn't even your daughter anymore. These things are vicious, They're violent. They're so nasty, they rot the ground around them. i mean, come on, haven't you seen pet cemetery? "

"You're insane." the doctor was pissed as he went to his phone and knew the authorities would now be involved.

"Where is she?"

"Get out of my house!" he pointed at dean as he flew into a rage, taking the phone from the old man and throwing it to the floor, leaving him in shock and shaking.

"I know you're hiding her somewhere. Where is she?"

"Dean, stop! Thats enough! Dean, look, beautiful living plants." Sam informed him and he followed his eyeline before dean left, leaving the doctor in shock and all i could do was look at him apologetically.

"We're leaving." I pointed to Sam and Dean.

"I'm calling the Police." he warned me.

"I wouldn't blame you if you did." i muttered and I went to lead the two of them out but Dean was nowhere near done. He managed to pull the phone from 's hand and throw it down.

"I know you're hiding her somewhere. Where is she?" Dean was furious and I was pretty sure he was going to swing for the poor old man. Sammy pulled him back.

" Sir, " Dean got free of Sam's grasp and left first. We're sorry. We won't bother you again." he managed a small apology before we hit the pavement and followed Dean.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Sam asked him in shock.

"Back off. " was all he could mutter, knowing he was the one who was deeply in the wrong.

"That man is innocent. He didn't deserve that. " I told him with a sternness in my own voice, something I'd never been able to express before now.

"Okay, so she's not here, maybe he's keeping her somewhere else." Eventhough he knew he was in the wrong he was determined to be in the right, just for the sake of his own stupid pride.

"Stop it. That's enough, okay? Enough. " Sam informed him, I was unsure whether it was in my defence or he'd literally had enough of all of Dean's behaviours.

"Sam I know what I'm doing."

"No, you don't. At all. Dean, I don't scare easy, but man you're scaring the crap out of me."

"Don't be all dramatic Sam." he tried to shrug it off into nothing, his usual defence.

"You're lucky this turned out to be a real case, because if it wasn't, you would have just found something else to kill." Sam put in and that made dean stop in his tracks.

"What?" he looked at him in disbelief and i shook my head.

"Oh crap." I muttered and looked between them, ready to scream at the first sign of a fight i couldn't handle.

"You're on edge. You're erratic. Except for when you're hunting, then you're downright scary. You're tailspinning, man. And you refuse to talk about it, and you won't let me help you. "

"I can take care of myself, thanks." he shook his head and began to walk away again.

"No, you can't. And you know what? You're the only one who thinks you should have to. You don't have to handle this on your own dean, no one can." Sam began to follow and I kept my distance, wishing I'd stuck to my guns and stayed in Sioux falls with my English homework.

"Sam, if you bring up dad's death one more..."

"Stop, dean, it's killing you. please." they came to a halt on the street once more, and this time, I hoped Sam would talk some sense into him "We've already lost dad. We've lost mom. I've lost Jessica. And now I'm gonna lose you too? "

"We better get out of here before the cops come." Dean added in, brushing off the conversation "I hear you. Okay? Yeah, I'm being an ass. And I'm sorry. But right now we got a frigging zombie running around. We need to figure out how to kill it." he was determined and Sam, at the bottom of him, knew in some twisted was, Dean was right. "Right?" he was hunting for the answer he wanted.

"Our lives are weird man."

"You're telling me. Come on." we all began to walk back to the car.


	71. Chapter 71

We got back to the motel and began to hit the books hard, trying to find any information we could do on how to kill the zombie that had been brought back by whoever for whatever reason. So Sam and I sat on the beds while Dean looked for the remaining reasons for Angela to be brought back.

"We can't just waste it with a head shot." he asked allowed as he walked past the bed.

I rolled my eyes at him shook my head. "No, clever shit, we can't just waste it with a head shot, it'll just piss it off more than it already has been. "

"Dude, you've been watching way too may Romero flicks." Sam interjected too with a smirk which I couldn't help but mirror.

"He does nothing else. " I shook my head.

"So, you're telling me there's no lore on how to smoke them?"

"No Dean. I'm telling you there's too much."

"Dude, stop pacing the room, you're pissing me off." I began to hit the book with my pencil and he took the hint with a scowl to me, sitting down at the table.

"I'm mean there's a hundred different legends on the walking dead," Then the other one started, Sam go up and began to pace instead but quickly changed his mind and sat opposite the older. "But they all have different methods on killing them. Some say, setting them on fire, one said...where is it?" he chuckled and looked in the diary "Right here. Feeding their hearts to wild dogs. That's my personal favourite. But who knows what's real and what's myth?"

"Is there anything they all have in common?"

"No, but few said silver might work." I informed him as I looked over my research quickly.

"Silvers a start." Dean intervened his input.

"But how are we gonna find Angela?" Sam asked and I shook my head, rolling my eyes at the two of them. Sometimes I thought that I honestly did all the leg walk for these two idiots.

"We obviously, have to figure out who brought her back, douchebags." I chuckled at them.

"Any ideas then, smart mouth?" Sam scowled and I couldn't help but laugh a little harder.

"I think if it's not her dad, it be that guy Neil." he got up, he had something that we had no idea about.

"Give a gold star to the child in the front row."

"Neil?"

"Yep?" Dean added and looked through the pink book.

"How'd you come up with that?"

"Well, you got your journal, I got mine." he smiled. "Neils a real shoulder to cry on. He so understands what I'm going through with Matt.' There's more here where that came from. It's got unrequited ducky love all over it."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean he brought her back from the dead."

"Mmmm, did I mention that he's Professor Mason's ta? Has access to all the same books?"

"Looks like you have a brain up in there, doesn't it chucklehead." I smiled and got of the bed, picking my jacket up off the back of the chair. "Come on then, we have a zombie to find."

Sam smirked as Dean just rolled his eyes, he knew I was far too into this now.

We made our way up to Neil's porch, keeping an eye out for any sort of neighbourly action. It was clear, at this time of the day, most of the neighbourhood was either at school, work or too stoned to care. Dean got us in by picking the lock.

"Hello? Neil, it's your grief counsellors. We've come to hug!"

"Oh come on dude!" I shook my head as I pulled out my gun.

"Silver bullets?" Sam asked me.

"Yep." I muttered.

"Enough to make her rattle like a change purse." I grinned as we began to walk through the house. Everything seemed normal, well, normal enough for a guy who was never home and worked all the hours that he could because he enjoyed his work too much. Sam noticed the dead plants and pointed them out to us, at which point Dean manhandled the gun out of my hand to protect his younger siblings.

"Basement," I whispered to them "any money, Angela is in there."

"Unless this is where he keeps his porn." Dean shrugged and I shook my head.

The door was unbolted, we made our way down to the basement quickly, trying not to creak the stairs. It was un-needed as the place was devoid of any sort of life, undead or otherwise.

"Sure looks like a zombie pen to me."

"Yeah. An empty one. You think Angela's going after somebody?"

I moved to look at the grate, realising it was off the hook of the wall.

"Nah, I think she went out to rent beaches."

"Or get a pizza with a side order of brain." I quipped in.

"Look, smart ass, she might kill someone." Sam scolded me and I just shook my head. "We gotta find her Dean."

"Yeah, alright. She er, she er clipped Matt because he was cheating, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, it takes two to, you know...have hardcore sex."

"Angela's roommate?"

"She was broken up over matt's death. I mean like, really broken up."


	72. Chapter 72

"Okay, so we go to Angela's apartment and then what?" I asked as I clambered back in the car.  
"We, do nothing." Dean added. "Sam and I go in to the apartment and attempt to save her. You, stay in the car."  
"What?" I looked at him with a pissed off expression. "You're on glue if you think..."

"No, Mary, Dean's right, you should stay in the car."  
"You dragged me into this hunt, you're sure as hell ain't gonna keep me out of it!"  
"We haven't got time for this crap Mary!" Dean growled at me.

"You're not Dad! You don't get to tell me what the hell to do!"

"This wasn't supposed to be a hunt!"  
"No! But you found it and now I'm in it! So deal with it!"

"Okay, okay, the two of you, just calm the hell down!" Sam shouted at the two of us.

"Bitch." I muttered under my breath and slumped back in the car, my arms folded as I sulked.

"No, I'm just keeping you safe." Dean sighed and started the car up, driving to Angela's apartment in silence, I brushed a tear of anger away as I sulked.

We pulled up to the house, realising something was most defiantly up as the door had been kicked open and the screams were coming from the building.

"You, stay in the car!"

"Fine, whatever." I muttered as they both ran out to join the commotion. It wasn't that I wanted to be involved in the fight, I was just sick of being treat like the younger idiot sibling who couldn't do anything right or was just there to be used as bait or get into trouble. I knew to an extent that some of it was true, I was good at getting caught up in the bad guy's shit or having to draw them out. But I was so desperate to prove that I could do something more than what they expected. Hell, I needed to prove I was use for something after being kicked out of school.

I waited and they came rushing back to the car, clambering in a hurry, trying to figure out what the hell their next move was.

"So silver bullets, they did something, right?" Sam asked aloud.

"Yeah, something. But not enough. What else you got?"

"You could try nailing the undead back into their grave beds. It's mentioned a few times. It's probably where the whole vampire-staking lore came from." I announced from the back, pretty soon Sammy would be out of his job as a trusted sidekick.

"Their grave beds, you serious?"

"Yeah, she's right." Sam backed his sister up.

"And how the hell are we gonna get Angela back to the cemetery?"

"We'll figure it out, we always do." I added in as I play with my coat.


	73. Chapter 73

"So what the hell are we going to do now?" I asked aloud, "Even if we've managed to piss her off enough..." I took a deep breath "...that fake ritual idea may actually work." I came to the realisation in my head.

"Oh come on, I was bullshitting Mary." Dean looked exasperated as we got back to the lot and headed toward the car.

"No, she may have a point Dean." Sam backed me up as we got in.

"How? How is that thing not going to know that we're making this up as we go along?"

"Because, genius, that thing, is still Angela. It has no idea what goes into putting its ass back into the ground, and even if it does, its probably too petrified to care. It'll want us dead at all costs."

"Yeah, well, I hope you're right, for all our asses." he muttered as the engine roared into life. "Where to?"

"The graveyard, it's time to bury this bitch once and for all." I smiled to myself. I was proud that I was eventually getting the hang of this gig, even if it did worry the hell out of Dean to see me so like-minded.

We began by setting up the candles around Angela's graveside, it was too quiet in the cemetery and usually that would comfort me. but not tonight, this was only the third time i'd actually been in the thick of the action for real. This time, I hoped I wasn't going to become zombie food or piss this thing off. It was my idea and it was up to me to carry it off, even if we failed and had to come up with another plan as quickly as possible, at least I'd had some input into it.

"You really think this is going to work?" Sam looked at me with a bemused expression. All of his confidence in his baby sister seemed to have disappeared when it came to actually performing the performance.  
"Nope, not really." I sighed and lit another candle before standing up. "But it was the only thing I could think of." I brushed the dirt from my jeans. At that moment we all heard the crunch of the leaves behind the hedges. We all stopped dead in our tracks, it was show time and I had never been more afraid in my life.

"I guess were about to find out." I muttered as Sam went off to draw the bitch out.

"Here, you're going to need this." Dean handed me a silver stake and I nodded as I hid behind a gravestone.

We waited, never taking our eyes off where Sammy was hidden for long. There was one sound we needed to hear and it came like a clash of thunder. There was a silence again for a little while until the unmistakeable sound of running and panting. The Angela monster was growling like a banshee as the thud of bodies hit the floor.

"You, stay there!" Dean exclaimed to me as he got up quickly and ran to help Sam.

"Oh hell no!" I shouted back and came up from behind my hiding point to see Angela trying to snap Sammy's neck. That didn't last long as Dean shot her and I took my signal from that. She stumbled back to her graveside, falling back. I ran for her and launched myself into the grave with her.

I sat with my legs either side of her, forcing her down as she writhed for her freedom.

"Oh, I don't think so!" I shouted at her.

"Wait, don't!" She screamed out to me but I was not having any of it. I began to drive the silver stake through her chest and to the back of her coffin. Seeing her taking one more writhing motion under me and then she stopped. Her body was once more dead and still in its bed.

"What's dead, should stay dead, bitch." I muttered. I had felt no emotion or remorse in doing what I had done. that thing was no longer the girl I had seen die in the car crash. She was a monster and all of the death and destruction she had caused had outweighed any sympathy I had felt for her beforehand.

My two brothers looked at me in shock as I stood up. Dean looked down at me and ushered for my hands and I gave him them. He pulled me up to the ground.

"Burry the bitch boys, I wanna go home to my own bed." I walked away from them and back to the car.

I joined them again after they'd finished filling in the grave once more. It was as if nothing had happened, but the crap she had caused for so many more people than her own father shoed that something had happened to these poor people.

"Rest in peace." Sam muttered over her.

"Yeah, for good this time, okay?" Dean added as we walked back to the car once more.  
"You know Mary, the whole fake ritual thing? Luring Angela to the cemetery? Pretty sharp!"

"Thank you geek boy!" I added with a grin. "I thought so too."

"Yeah, when did you become such a good hunter?"

"Around the time I had to pick up from you two bitches." I laughed a little.

"I take it back." Dean shook his head in disbelief.

"But why use me as bait?" Sam had to ask, he was the one who had got injured, no one else in this. Fair enough, I had grazed knees and a couple of spelks of wood in my hands, nothing else.

"I figured you were more her type, she had pretty crappy taste in guys." Dean began to make jokes at his brother's expense once more.

"I think she broke my hand."  
"Oh, poor baby." I stroked his shoulder lightly, making the fun with Dean.

"You're just too fragile, we'll get it looked at later." Dean smirked before he stopped, looking over his shoulder as he saw his mother's grave, not sure whether he should stay to have his goodbyes, even if she wasn't there in the ground, she was here in spirit.

"You wanna stay a while?" Sam asked him gently.

"No." he muttered as he put the shovels into the trunk of the car.


	74. Chapter 74

We drove away from the town after putting another monster back in the ground. I sat in the rear of the car, my back on the door, my feet up on the chair. Sam and Dean were silent and I didn't want to be the one to break them out of that. Dean was mulling things over in his mind as he drove and Sam was too content to let him to break that train of thought. It was what Dean needed, to think before he'd eventually open up and not act like he had a few hunts ago.

Angela's case had hit us all hard; she had been a regular girl, not evil or born a monster, just unfortunate enough to have a shitty boyfriend and even more unfortunate to have a best friend who loved her more than he cared to admit. It had been too hard for him to let her go and bringing her back was for his own satisfaction. It did not matter that what he had brought back was not her, it talked like her, looked like her, had all her memories and probably even smelled like her to Neil. But at the end of the day it wasn't her. It was an evil monster, brought back on innocent, well, good intentions at least. If we could have, we would have done the same a hundred times over for John. The only thing that stopped us was that we knew the truth. What is dead should stay dead, no matter how much it hurts us to live without them. The dead are at peace, or we would hope they would be. Eventhough in Dad's case, we knew he was probably in torment, in hell. What made it worse for me at least, was that I had let him make that deal. I was the one that chose to have Dean over John.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Dean pulled the car over and got out. He was about ready to break and we knew it. The two younger Winchesters looked at each other with the same worried look and followed him out of the car. Sammy held back for a little while and I made my way forward.

"Dean, what is it?" I asked as I sat next to him on the car bonnet. I had the urge to hug him but I knew he would not appreciate it as much as I would.

"I'm sorry," he muttered and that was all we really needed from him but he would continue. I took his hand and grasped it in mine gently.

"You're...what for?" Sam looked at him bemused before coming to join us on the bonnet.

"The way I've been acting, and for dad."  
"Dean...that wasn't your fault..." I muttered at him.

"i mean, he was your dad too and it's my fault he's gone." he continued as if he'd never heard me.

"What are you talking about?"

"I know you've been thinking it. So have I. doesn't take a genius to figure it out. Back at the hospital in a full recovery. It was a miracle. And five minutes alter dad's dead and the colt's gone."

"Dean..." Sam was going to try to comfort him, but he was dead set in his thoughts, he knew what had happened and wasn't going to let it drop at all.

"You can't tell me there's not a connection there. I don't know how the demon was involved...I don't know how the whole thing went down, exactly...but dad's dead because of me. And that much I do know."

"We don't know that for sure..." I looked at the ground and grasped at Deans hand tighter to comfort myself rather than him.  
"Sam...you and dad and Mary...you're the most important people in my life. And now...I never should've come back, Sam. It wasn't natural. And now look what's come of it. I was dead. And I should've stayed dead." his voice began to shake a little as he explained himself.

At that point, I saw the tears, and it was at that point I allowed myself to place an arm around his shoulder, my forehead on his arm. It was the only way I knew how to comfort anyone. I was never one with words to make you feel better, hell, I would've made it a thousand times worse if I had opened my mouth.

" You wanted to know how I was feeling. Well, that's it. So tell me. What could you possibly say to make that all right?"

I felt like telling him everything I knew there and then. That John had made a deal for Dean, that he was not going insane. At the end of the day, I chose not to. It was not fair to make Dean suffer anymore than he actually had too. I kept it too myself and I would do for a long while to come.


	75. Chicago Blues

We got back to Bobby's, the three of us in a worst state then when we left. I knew it would hit the fan when he saw my blood stained knees and hands full of wood.

"You ready for this? I would stay in the car if I were either of you two." I informed them as I got out of the car.

"We'll be fine." Dean muttered, somehow, I didn't believe him at all.

Bobby was there on the porch, waiting, no doubt with a shot gun in his back pocket.

"What the hell have you done to yourself?" He gruffed as he saw my knees and hands and general dishevelled state.

"Nothing, I staked a zombie in her grave, but nothing more." I was proud but I kept it to myself.

"I thought you had an English essay to write?" He looked at me with his sour puss face.

"Oh Bobby! I made the notes." I walked up the steps to porch, kissing his cheek and patting the other. "Now hush up you old grump."

"Yeah, yeah, now you go and shower, you smell like a hunter." he scoffed.

"Okay." I looked at the boys as they got out of the car. "Now, please go easy on them, I was a pain in the ass."

"I'll bet you were, female and Winchester, bad mix."

"Ooo, so bitchy!" I chuckled and made my way up the room I lived in at Bobby's house.

My feet pattered on the stairs and when I got in the room, I sat on the bed and took my boots off, shrugging off my jacket. I saw the state of my knees, bloodstained and muddy as were the rest of my clothes. At one time, all I cared about was my appearance, not this hunting crap or anything else. I also knew that before long I would have to choose between the picket fence with Danny and the newfound bond I had with my brothers. Eventually I found the strength to move to the bathroom, taking off my clothes, dropping them to the floor. I took a stretch up and down; I turned the shower on to scolding. I looked in the mirror, taking the dirt and makeup off my face, seeing how mud stained the cloth became. I quickly jumped into the hot water, letting it sting my muscles and wash out the gashes and cuts. Being a hunter was taking it toll on my and I knew it. Quickly, I wrapped myself in a towel and styled out my hair in the mirror, getting as much of myself back as I could.

"Mary!" A familiar voice called out and I couldn't wait to be in his arms again, forgetting I was in a towel, I let him grasp my body to his. "You silly girl!"

"I know, and I'm sorry!" I kissed him over and over, my hands on his face. I let him kiss my head and mouth. "I've missed you, so much!"

"Then don't go again!" He scolded me and looked at my cuts. "Sit down."

I did as I was told, sitting on the edge of the bed, I let him look at my cuts on my leg. He ran his kisses over it and then took his first aid kit. He made a good job of it and smiled up at me, kissing my forehead. "Put some clothes on, I think they've gone to get food."

"I will do." I smiled and got up, taking out what I needed. A fresh white, long sleeved top and a clean pair of jeans. I managed to put some makeup on and a cardigan before making my way to the top of the stairs. I stopped when I heard them talking. All about me. I stood at the top of the stairs and waited.

"You didn't see her Bobby, she was, different..." Dean muttered.

"She's just lost both of her parents Dean, she has to take it out somehow. Like you, she likes to hit things!" Bobby defended me.

"But it's not her."

"No, it's not the innocent little girl you're used to." Danny jumped in.

"Hey, no one asked for your opinion."

"I'm on your side Winchester. I want her to go to school, to live a normal life and be out of this life." He laughed. "Hell, I'd let her go if she wanted to go, go have that apple pie life. I do anything to give that to her."

"She won't let you Danny." Bobby answered their questions.

"He's right."  
"How is he right Sam?" Dean put in.

"She's lost all her family. We're all she has. Of course she wants is to hunt with us. To be close to the family she has left, she'll destroy herself to do it."

"She's a kid! She needs to be in school. Dad left her for a reason, he didn't want her to be in this."  
"It's too late for that now. She's been brought up by a demon, exposed to everything you could think possible and she just wants to be... I don't know..."

"Loved, she just wants a family." Bobby put in. "You two boy's have to let her decide, not you."

At that point I wiped the tears from my face and moved down the stairs, making as much noise as I could to let them know I was coming.

"Hey!" I smiled at them."God, don't you four look like you've been hitting the whiskey too hard."

"Yeah." Sam smiled. "You hungry?"  
"Actually, I was gonna cook but if..."  
"Oh God yes!" Dean head for the kitchen straight away.  
"So chicken and fruit pie it is!" I smiled following him through and I began to cook around the kitchen.

The next day, the boy's were heading off and this time, I was determined to stay with Danny. I wanted too, to feel normal again.

"You sure?" Sam smiled.

"Yeah, you two have fun and I'll see you in a few weeks." I hugged them both and waved them off in the Impala.

"So, Miss Winchester, what are we going to do now?" Danny smiled and kissed my cheek.

"I thought, a trip to Chicago would be good, just to collect the rest of my stuff and go shopping. Most of my clothes are absolutely craptastic."

"Fun times for me." he smiled and hugged me. "It'll be nice, drop in on the folks and get you happy again."

"The folks?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "Your mom and dad?"

"Mmmhmm. They worry about us, being here, and them being there. They'd want us back."  
"I don't think I could leave Bobby on his own." I took a breath. "I think he needs us around, too keep him busy."

"You're too good for this world Mary Winchester." he smiled and kissed me deeply, my hands on his neck. I knew that I was now fully classed as a Winchester, a member of the hunting family that took me in. "I hope you know that."

"I hope I do too." I smiled and kissed him deeply.

"When you two are finished, you need to gat packing and head on up to Chicago." Bobby smiled at us, he wasn't too pissed with me anymore.

"I don't want you to leave you here on your own." I smiled gently. "I don't think..."

"Hey, I've been living here on my own long before you walked your moany ass up in here." he laughed at me. "Now get!"


End file.
